In a Bottle
by kcpiratey05
Summary: Mystery, Adventure! Elizabeth and Jack embark on adventure to free the Black Pearl, but they soon find the cost is much more than they bargained for. Post OST. Slightly AU.
1. An evening fit for a king

**A/N: so...Here's a brand new story following our favorite pair on a crazy adventure. It takes place after OST and is moderately AU. I hope you enjoy. Any feedback is greatly appreciated :)**

It was a cool February evening in Shipwreck Cove. A gentle breeze filled the great hall where Pirate King, Captain Elizabeth Turner was looking over some charts and other documents. These days that was where you could usually find her. She always stayed up late into the night keeping her mind from straying onto topics she'd rather not spend her time dwelling on. This night in particular she was anxiously awaiting the return of Captain Teague who she had sent to Tortuga for some supplies and, she hoped, any information of Jack Sparrow's whereabouts. When Jack had left for Tortuga six months previous, he was only supposed to be gone a fortnight, and she was beginning to fear the worst.

Jack had been a welcome presence in her life since the battle with the East India Company. The first few weeks after Will had left her were difficult to say the least. There were several days she refused to get out of bed, take any meals, or speak to anyone other than Teague. Teague being a man of few words, and having little to no experience dealing with such things, grew frustrated not knowing how exactly to help the poor girl. So he sent a letter to Jack begging him to come to Shipwreck Cove to "deal with the somber wench". So Jack came, and in no uncertain terms told her stop whimpering and behave like the pirate he knew her to be and quite literally dragged her from her bed. From that point on, he came back periodically to the cove bringing gifts and stories, and on a few occasions she would leave with him and sail to wherever the wind happened to call to him. The unpleasant past between them was set aside at last, and they were friends once again. Something Elizabeth needed more than anything else in the world.

She regained her sea legs rather quickly and began sailing on her own, and found purpose taking care of Shipwreck Cove and all of its inhabitants. The people there adored her. Most of them were wives and children of pirates who were constantly at sea, the rest were pirates too old to sail. She kept the city well stocked and secure and brought in various goods and spices from all over the world. News of the pirate haven eventually caught like wild fire, and pirates from all over the globe began moving their families or themselves into the already crowded city.

Elizabeth didn't have the heart to turn anyone away, so she made even greater efforts to bring in food and supplies. Jack helped with that as well, even after Barbossa stole the pearl. But when Jack asked her to sail with him to find the fountain of youth, she had to decline. She wouldn't abandon her people she had told him. She did, however, ask him for a favor. She handed him a sealed letter. He flashed a knowing smile at her and said "of course". He told her he was going to sail to Tortuga to find a ship and a crew and return to the cove before he began his voyage, but he never returned. A part of her thought that he may have been cross with her for not going with him, but the longer he was away and as the usual whisperings of his adventures decreased, her heart grew heavy and her sleep was often restless.

So she continued her work, keeping track of the weather patterns, the seasons, their supplies, ship maintenance, imports and exports, and population. And when she could no longer stomach the tediousness of her tasks, she took to reading the many books that adorned the shelves of the cove. Tonight, however, her obsession lent itself toward the fortifying of shipwreck cove through the coming months.

Captain Teague pulled into the harbor near twilight. Seeing all of the candles lit in the great hall, he smirked to himself. He left the docking of his ship to the crew and made his way down the gangplank. His wobbly gait strode into the great hall with no manner of gracefulness at all, slamming the door open with him. Elizabeth never lifted her head.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here at such a late hour?" He quibbled.

"Sleep has become a precious commodity to which I am not entitled" She responded, head still in her paperwork.

"I come bearing gifts"

"I hope you come with a bounty. What with the ever increasing population, I fear we wont have enough supplies to last us through hurricane season." She muttered.

"Shipwreck cove survived for nigh on a half of a century before you took the reins, a little drizzle wouldn't do her in" Added a familiar voice.

Elizabeth's head perked up with excitement. "Jack!" She sprung from her seat and into his arms. Jack stumbled back slightly at the unexpected vaulting. "You're alive!" She observed excitedly, putting him at arms length and looking him over. "We thought you were dead." She added softly.

"Trust me, love. It takes a talented soul to send Captain Jack Sparrow to the afterlife" He smirked and gave her a wink.

Elizabeth gave him a look he knew all to well, most often when he succeeded in agitating her.

"It's good to see you, Jack" she said and returned to her spot at the table amongst all of her things. "So where have you been? I expect there is a good story at hand" she mused.

"Aye, that there is." He said, joining her at the table. Teague pulled out a bottle of rum from a cupboard and poured three glasses. "I found the fountain of youth."

Elizabeth looked up from the table at him in disbelief, she then looked to Teague for confirmation. He nodded. "Well clearly you didn't drink from it. You look rather worse for wear" She joked.

Teague coughed up his rum at the offended look that crossed his son's face.

"Well, it was no easy feat. I had to face the royal navy, Barbossa, Blackbeard, and his treacherous mutinous daughter." He retorted defensively.

"I'm sure her treacherous mutiny had nothing whatsoever to do with you." she said dryly.

"I'm offended you would say such a thing?" he asked.

"You're not wrong" chimed in Teague. He and Elizabeth both started to snicker.

"Shut it, the both of you. I didn't come here to be criticized" Jack took a rather large gulp of rum.

"Why did you come, then? Or a more pertinent question, why didn't you return here before you left for the fountain?" she asked rather pointedly.

"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome." he brushed her question away. "I have returned now, isn't that what matters?"

"No doubt because you need something?" she bit back, trying to maintain an air of seriousness.

"Now, now, Lizzie. No need to be cross." He Paused. "But! There_ is_ a matter that has me rather perplexed that I could use your help with. Both of you, actually."

This intrigued Elizabeth. it wasn't everyday that Jack Sparrow openly admitted to needing help, especially not from his father. Jack pulled from a satchel a glass bottle. Inside was a black ship with a likeness that of the Black Pearl. It appeared to be sailing through a dark and grueling storm. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

"Is that?" She asked.

Teague took the bottle from Jack's hands and inspected it thoroughly.

"It is" Said Jack

"But how? I don't understand." Elizabeth was perplexed herself.

"This is Blackbeard's work" Teague had grumbled.

"But you faced Blackbeard, didn't you? Could he not bring the pearl back?"

"We did defeat Blackbeard, and Barbossa took over the Queen Anne's Revenge, but this kind of voodoo was beyond either of our comprehending, and Blackbeard was less than willing to help as he gasped his final breaths."

"One would think you would extract vital information before you sent the man to his death." Elizabeth argued.

"There wasn't exactly time. It was a life or death sort of situation. So, what do you know of it?" He asked looking at Teague.

"Not much I'm afraid. A shame Tia Dalma is of no use to any of us anymore." Teague added with a strange look on his face.

"Wait" Elizabeth chirped, "I think I read about something similar to this not too long ago. Perhaps Calypso can still provide some assistance." She got up from the table excitedly.

"You can finally put all that reading to good use for something other than badgering me with incessant chatter." Teague teased her

"Mind your tongue, old man. I'd hate to remove it. I'd just gotten used to your delightful mirth." She teased back sarcastically.

Jack looked between the two, wondering what exactly he was witnessing. It had been quite a while since he'd seen Teague crack a smirk, let alone a smile.

"Come on, Gentlemen. No time like the present." Elizabeth urged for them to follow her.

"These bones are old and have traveled a long way. I think I will retire for the night." Teague grunted. "Why don't you try and get some sleep? Those books will still be there in the morning." He suggested.

"You know I can't help myself." She smiled and Teague nodded after her before heading toward his quarters at the back of the hall.

"I swear that man has spoken more words to you today than he's spoken to me in my entire life." Jack joked but clearly a little befuddled.

The two walked up the spiral staircase that led to Elizabeth's quarters.

"I'm very grateful for him. He's been like a father to me. Unconventional, sure, but fatherly all the same. I think he may be trying make up for some of the mistakes he made with you" She quipped back at him.

Elizabeth's room was rather untidy compared to her usually well kept habits. Books and papers were strewn about the entire sitting area. Candles littered the room, burned most of the way down, and empty rum bottles cluttered her side table. The room smelled of cinder and pipe tobacco. Clearly Elizabeth had been indulging in Teague's bad habits as well as neglecting the upkeep of things, Jack thought to himself. _Curious_. As they entered, she hurriedly attempted to clear some of the clutter off of the table throwing most of it onto her bed. Jack looked after her laughing to himself as she haphazardly managed her things.

"What happened in here?" Jack asked with a chuckle.

"Sorry, I wasn't exactly expecting company" She responded. "and I've been a little preoccupied."

"I can see that" He added still chuckling.

"Oh yes, and you keep your things so neat and tidy. I've seen the way you live, Jack Sparrow, so I will have no judgements from you." She said, walking toward him and jabbing a finger into his chest before returning to the task at hand.

"No judgements here, love, it's just unexpected." He paused. "I…uh...have something for you.." His voice softened. Elizabeth's back stiffened slightly and she turned to him with waiting eyes. Jack handed her a letter, seal unbroken. Taking it in her hands, she sat down across from him never taking her eyes off of the letter.

"How was he? I mean…How did he seem?" She asked, afraid of how he would answer.

"He's different now. Harder. The burden of death heavy on his shoulders, but he is well."

"And you gave him the letter?"

"I did"

"How did he…react?"

"Why don't you just open the letter?"

"I"m afraid of what it might say." she kept her eyes on the letter "Will and I didn't exactly have a fairytale romance, but he deserves so much more than the fate he was given. He's been through hell for me, and I'm afraid of what it will do to him." She sat staring at the letter for what seemed like an eternity. "Of all the decisions I've had to make, this was the most difficult...and selfish."

Jack understood. Though he preferred they didn't speak of it.

When Jack first started making his regular visits, Elizabeth had discovered she was pregnant. She told no one. She was unsure, herself, how she felt about it. It warmed her heart to know she would give Will a child, give him something to look forward to, but at the same time she wasn't necessarily ready to be a mother, to give up her life at sea. Two months into one of their voyages to Singapore, she had gotten ill and lost the child. At that point she had no choice but to tell Jack of her condition. She nearly died before they were able to find a doctor. It had rattled Jack to no end, and for a long time he was mad at her for not telling him sooner.

But none carried the burden heavier than Elizabeth.

She would bare no more children, and for a long time she felt incredibly guilty for, once again, choosing her life over another's. _Pirate_. Her heart ached for Will. She never wanted to disappoint him, but time and time again his expectations of her were too high. She could never be the perfect woman that he imagined her to be. And, in turn, he would never be the husband she could count on. In her time of need, he was not there for her, and would not be there for nearly a decade. She realized then more than ever that she was on her own. Then she changed. She no longer let her emotions get the better of her. She grew stronger, fought harder, and found purpose.

It wasn't long after that she decided that she would no longer bear a guilty burden. Not for Will, not for Jack, not for anyone. So, she wrote Will a letter absolving their vows. Not because she didn't love him, or because she loved someone else, merely because she wanted to be free, wanted a clean slate. Selfish, perhaps, but it was what she needed: to erase the last of an unpleasant past.

Elizabeth continued to stare at the piece of parchment.

"Just read it, love." He encouraged her. "He might surprise you"

She opened the letter and read it to herself. She felt a lump begin to grow at the back of her throat and tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she choked back her sobs, folded the letter and placed it in one of the drawers in her desk. "Well, that's that then." She stated. "Back to the matter at hand" she headed back to the bookshelf and pulled down more books.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine." She said quickly. "So it's either in one of these" She said indicating a stack of books blocking Jack's view of her, "or one of these" She said, pointing to another stack off to the side.

"You don't have to put on a face for me, you know?" He knew she hated to cry in front of him, but they'd become close enough, Jack had no issue providing some semblance of comfort to her.

Elizabeth stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Really, I'm fine. I promise." Her voice was sincere, but her eyes held the sadness of something ending. Jack nodded and continued to peruse the selection in front of him.

"You've read all of these in my absence?" he asked in awe.

"I haven't been sleeping much"

"I'd say not. This isn't exactly light reading" he said amused.

"If you want your ship back, I'd suggest you get reading, Captain."

"As you command, Lizzie."

"That's King Swann, thank you very much" She chided.

"Apologies, your majesty" He amended, and they both buried their noses in books for the remainder of the evening.

It was nearly dawn and they were still combing through book after book. Jack rubbed his face in frustration, trying to keep himself awake. Elizabeth was as alert as ever, determined to find something to point them in the right direction. Not even a yawn escaped her. Sensing that she wasn't about to quit anytime soon, Jack finally threw his hands up in the air.

"That's it. I can't look at another word. Let's call it for today, Lizzie. A man needs sleep." he pleaded.

"Hold on a moment. I think I've found it." She continued reading. "Yes, here…oh…" she stopped abruptly, her face twisting into a strange expression of amusement and concern.

"What does it say?" Jack asked eagerly

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She said shaking her head.

"Try me."

"There's a chest." she said, stifling a chuckle.

Jack looked at her dead pan for a few seconds. "You're right, I don't believe you. Give it here." He said gesturing for the book. He ran his finger over the words. "Imagine that. There is a chest. You'd think someone would come up with an alternate method of storage."

"It doesn't say where to find the chest, though. Only that it exists."

"Well there's only one place to acquire information of that which cannot be found…"

"We've to go to the tavern?" Elizabeth questioned with as little enthusiasm as possible.

"We've to go to the tavern" He repeated. "But first, I need to sleep. You should too. We'll need our minds sharp." She nodded. He stood and moved to leave, stopping himself in the doorway. He turned to her. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Jack, I told you I'm fine. If anything, I'm relieved. There's no need to fuss over me." She walked toward him placing her hand on the door.

"Very well. I'll meet you downstairs at sundown." He looked at her suspiciously as he moved into the hallway.

"Sundown." She agreed and attempted to close the door behind him, but he quickly stuck his head back in her room.

"What did the letter say?" he peered in with agonizing curiosity.

"Goodnight, Jack." She said brusquely and pushed him out, shutting the door in his face.

"We'll talk about it later then." He voiced through the closed door before he turned and walked toward his own room.

Elizabeth shook her head and smiled as she made her way to the bed. She lay there for sometime, but rest never came for her. She got back up and went over to her desk. She took Will's letter from the drawer and unfolded it once again, reading its contents.

_Elizabeth, _

_I'm so terribly sorry for all that you've gone through. No one regrets more than I, my absence from your world. Sometimes I feel it is punishment for my actions over the past year. You should know that I don't blame you at all for the loss of our child. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be. And perhaps you're right, maybe we weren't meant to be either. I will never stop loving you, Elizabeth, and I will still entrust my heart to you, but I will not keep you from your freedom. I will not force you to wait. Consider our vows absolved. _

_I hope you find what you're looking for._

_All of my love, _

_William_

Elizabeth folded the letter and put it back in her desk. This time she let the tears flow freely as she placed her head in her hands. She mourned the last piece of her old self. The governor's daughter was dead at last. Trying to gather herself, she took a deep pull from a bottle of rum. Keeping her head propped on the desk with her elbow, she stared out of the window at the gulls as they flew by, hoping beyond hope that she made the right decision. Sleep had claimed her soon after.

She woke abruptly when she heard a rather loud rapping on the door. Wiping the sleep from her eyes and trying to remember where she was, she looked around, noticing it was well after sunset.

The knocking continued, this time followed by a voice. "Lizzie. Lizzie, are you there?"

"Um…" She looked around frantically trying to find a cleaner shirt and a brush for her hair "Come in, I'm nearly ready"

Jack hesitantly opened the door and, peering in, watched her race about the room like a chicken with its head cut off.

"Did you just wake up?" he snickered.

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him, affronted by his accusations. However true they happened to be. "NO! I was just reading and lost track of time"

"Reading, hm? I imagine that's hard to do with your eyes closed."

She scoffed as she went behind her changing screen to put on a clean shirt. "You don't know as much as you perceive yourself to know."

"Perhaps not, but I'd been knocking for a good five minutes before you answered me." He chuckled.

"Fine, I was asleep. Happy?" She said throwing her soiled shirt at him as she rounded the other side of the screen.

"It's alright, love. There's no shame in sleeping and from what I understand you don't do very much of it. You don't have to come to the tavern."

"I'm going. It's been rather dull around here lately."

"Excellent, well finish up and meet me downstairs." He said walking toward the door. "Oh, and Elizabeth?"

"Yes?" She answered impatiently

"You've got a bit of ink on your face?" He said, tapping the right side of his cheek before heading out into the hallway.

Elizabeth grabbed some linen and went to her wash basin to remove the ink, grumbling to herself all the while about how infuriating Jack could be. Once she was satisfied, she sat on the edge of her bed and took stock of her surroundings. Frustrated with herself, she located her hat and left to meet Jack.

There was only one Tavern on the Island of Shipwreck, and to be sure, it was a wild and dingy place. Pirates and whores filled the building wall to wall. Music was playing, people were dancing, yelling and occasionally fighting. Elizabeth could barely hear herself think as they walked through the front doors. It was similar to Tortuga, but this being a pirate haven exclusively, the men by and large were more hardened and looked very terrifying to Elizabeth. Jack held her arm protectively as they walked in. Within moments nearly every head turned in the direction of the twosome. After a brief moment of silence, they were soon greeted with raucous cheers, claps on the back, and mugs raised in the air. Elizabeth found it rather amusing. She was certain they knew who Jack was, but she was skeptical that they had recognized their King. Elizabeth hardly ever ventured to this side of town.

They reached the bar and asked for Thomas. He was an old friend of Jack's from when they were children growing up on the island, or at least that's what Jack had said. Elizabeth didn't know too much of Jack's childhood. When pressed, Jack only gave her vague responses to this question or that, and it seemed Teague didn't know much of Jack's childhood either, having been out to sea for most of his life. She hoped that Thomas would shed a little light on the mysterious Jack Sparrow.

Thomas emerged from the back store room, a tall lanky man with shaggy auburn hair, and a cheery disposition. Worn, but he had a handsome quality to him. "Jack Sparrow. As I live and breathe. I don't believe my eyes." He said as he grasped Jack's outstretched hand. Jack laughed a hearty laugh. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he continued.

"I was hoping you could point us in the direction of someone with any information regarding Blackbeard." He said with his voice low.

Thomas shifted nervously and scanned the pub for prying eyes and ears. "Well, only one man I know here, besides you, with any personal experience. He's behind the pillar with the red head on his lap. Sailed on his crew, so I've heard." he nodded his head in the direction of the man.

Jack leaned to his right to peer around the pillar and his face contorted. "You're pulling my leg, Thomas."

"Sadly, I'm not. But what do you need to know about Blackbeard anyway? I heard he was dead."

"True enough, but his magical sword lost its luster when he died, I'm afraid, and I need some answers."

"It must be serious if you're even considering talking to him."

"Who is he?" Asked Elizabeth.

"A dreadful man with an insatiable appetite for women. There are things I've heard tell that he does in the bedroom that are not for the faint at heart. Prone to insane bouts of rage, he is violent, often times without reason. He's a cutthroat and a scalawag that makes even Barbossa squeamish." Jack answered her. Elizabeth blanched at the thought "And he's not very fond of me either."

"Shocking." Elizabeth retorted.

"And who is this fine creature you've brought with ye?" Thomas asked hoping to change the subject, and grabbing Elizabeth's hand, placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles.

Elizabeth blushed. "This is Captain Elizabeth Swann, your Pirate King." Jack introduced her proudly.

"Is she now?" Thomas asked with a smile.

"Yes, but we wish to keep that information hushed for now." Elizabeth added.

"Of course. Discretion is my specialty. Isn't that right, Jack?" Thomas gave Jack a knowing smirk. Jack looked at him with an icy glare that begged for Thomas not to utter another word.

"Thomas Muldoon, at your service" He bowed toward Elizabeth, and her cheeks reddened again. Jack rolled his eyes at the display. "Why on earth have you cast in your lot with the likes of Ol' Jack here?"

"Jack and I are also old friends, though, not as old as you. I've graciously offered to help him in his quest, and lend him my expertise" Elizabeth smirked.

"Any what expertise is that, pray tell?" Thomas leaned on the bar, raising his eyebrows with insinuation that made Jack a little uncomfortable.

"Elizabeth is rather deadly with a weapon." Jack interrupted. "I wouldn't get too close, mate."

Elizabeth huffed at Jack.

"I've heard she's deadly with more than just a weapon." Thomas looked at Jack as if he knew everything that had happened between them.

Elizabeth squinted her eyes at Jack before leaning over the bar toward Thomas. "One day, you'll have to tell me stories about this one. Seeing as how he likes to share my stories more than his own, seems only fair."

"No." Jack chimed in.

"You're welcome in here anytime, your majesty." Thomas said leaning in further.

"No" Interrupted Jack.

"Call me Elizabeth."

"No, no, no." Jack waved his hands in front of them. "You will not be telling her of any stories of any kind having anything to do with me, Savvy? and you…" he turned on Elizabeth "under no circumstances will you be coming in here all by your onesies."

"Jack, don't be ridiculous. I'm perfectly capable of handling myself." She muttered softly to him.

"I'm sure you are, but not with this lot. These are dangerous men, Lizzie. Ruthless, unyielding…"

Elizabeth cut him off "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were worrying about me, Jack."

"Yes, well…" he paused, concentrating hard at a spot on the bar.

She cut him off again, placing a hand on his forearm. "I'll behave."

Thomas cut in, "If I may, the man you seek looks to be on the move."

"Alright, let's get to it then." Chimed in Elizabeth.

"Hold it." Jack stated rather firmly.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

"You don't just waltz up to a man like that demanding answers."

"No? Then how are we supposed get them from him?"

He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You get him drunk first"

Elizabeth chuckled to herself, saying "Very well, lead the way captain. It was a pleasure meeting you Thomas." Elizabeth turned back toward him.

"Like wise" He gave her a wink.

Linking his arm with hers, Jack pulled her away from the bar and led them to the table. "Follow my lead" he whispered in her ear.

Bernard Forrester was a portly man, but he was broad, muscular, and easily six feet in height. The top of his head was balding, and his teeth, the ones that remained anyway, were gnarled and yellow. He fiercely gripped the red headed woman by the waist. A grip so tight, it would surely leave bruises. The young girl didn't seemed phased by him, however. Maybe out of fear of the things Jack mentioned earlier, or maybe she was just used to this kind of clientele. Either way, it made Elizabeth uneasy. Bernard looked as if he were going to have his way with her right there as they approached his table, but Jack yelled his name so loudly that everything around them nearly came to a screeching halt. Elizabeth stayed a bit behind Jack as he stepped forward.

"Bernard! My dear man, what brings you back to the cove after so many years?" Bernard paused in his ministrations and looked toward Jack.

"I'm here quite often, in fact. It is you who has become like a shadow in the night. I heard you were dead. I even had a celebratory drink in you honor." Bernard whispered to his lady and she scurried to the stairs leading up to the bedrooms.

"I was, but now I'm not. Isn't that great?" Jack asked with open arms.

"What do you want, Sparrow?" Bernard asked impatiently, looking in the direction to which the wench had just run off.

"What do I want? I want to buy you a drink?"

"A drink?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yes, a drink. I thought maybe it was time to burry the hatchet as it were."

"How about I burry a hatchet into your skull?" Bernard pushed his chair back violently, looking as if he were about to round on Jack. Elizabeth quickly pushed herself forward, lacing her arm through Jack's.

"Jack, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend" she asked, hoping her presence would soften Bernard a bit, or at least distract him from crushing Jack's head.

Jack turned his head toward her and smiled. "Ah yes. Bernard, I'd like you to meet my wife."

"Your wife?" Bernard bellowed, laughing hysterically.

"Your wife?!" Whispered Elizabeth through gritted teeth.

"Yes, my wife. Unless you wish to spend the evening in his bed?" He whispered back.

"Hell has surely frozen over. I never thought in a million years Jack Sparrow would settle on just one wench." Bernard grunted, still laughing.

"Bernard, I give you Elizabeth Sparrow." Jack said displaying her proudly, as if she were in fact his wife. The gesture made Elizabeth blush slightly.

"She is a pretty thing" He said sizing her up and down. "You should send her up to me when you've finished with her for the evening."

Elizabeth shivered. Bernard was practically salivating over her.

"Sorry to say, but she's all mine. Now, how about that drink?" asked Jack.

"What the hell? Why not?" Bernard sat down in his former seat and gestured for the other two to join him.

Jack signaled for the bar maid to bring them several large tankards of rum and a plate of bread.

"So where'd ye find this one, Sparrow?"

"Like an angel, she fell out of the sky and into me arms" Elizabeth stomach fluttered at his answer. No one had ever spoken so poetically of her before. Certainly not James with his militaristic brevity, and Will always seemed at a loss for words. Not that Jack was being serious, but still, the sentiment was pleasing to her.

"An angel, eh? Probably more of a devil in the bedroom though, aye?" Bernard elbowed Jack in the side.

Jack laughed uncomfortably. "More a devil than you know." he said as he took a large gulp from his mug. Elizabeth kicked him beneath the table.

"How do you two know each other?" Elizabeth asked, trying to quickly change the subject.

"This blighter owes me money." Bernard boasted as he, too, took a pull from his own mug.

"Seems to be a common problem with my husband." She smiled sweetly at him, and Jack gave her a scowl. "Allow me to settle his debt" She said as she opened her vest. Jack began to pale as she untied the laces of her shirt, revealing the barest amount of cleavage. From the inside of her shirt she pulled out a drawstring pouch and opened it. "A pound should suffice, I think." She said, laying a coin on the table in front of Bernard who was eyeing her hungrily as she moved.

Jack stared at her mouth agape. Elizabeth, again, smiled sweetly, and placed the pouch back into her shirt, returning her vest to it's original state. She so enjoyed watching Jack squirm. He detested not being in control almost as much as she did. It was a dangerous game the two of them played, always trying to out do the other. Most unwise in the presence of a man as disreputable as Bernard Forrester, but Elizabeth had missed it greatly.

"More than suffice, I'd say" Jack croaked, still in shock. "I only owed him a few shillings" he murmured to himself.

Bernard lifted the coin and inspected it, ensuring it's authenticity. "Consider the debt settled, Sparrow." He said placing the coin into his pocket. "Don't let go of this one. She keeps you honest. Just might save your life one day."

"Or send me to an early grave." He muttered. She kicked him again.

"How about another round? I've just recently come into a bit of coin." Bernard suggested.

"Why not?" Jack exclaimed and he drained his mug. "You better catch up too, darling, before that next round arrives" Jack said smugly as he flagged down the barmaid again. "Hate to see all that coin go to waste" He said meaningfully.

"Of course, dear" She said shooting him daggers. Elizabeth's head already began to feel fuzzy. She didn't think she'd survive a second, but when it came, she drank it. She would not be outdone.

The night dragged on and the drinks kept coming. By this time, Elizabeth and Bernard, both, were well and truly pissed. They had all become boisterous and full of laughter, sharing an odd story here or there. Elizabeth had even asked Jack to dance. It was an uptempo song and they galloped through the tavern, in time, laughing all the while. When they sat down, Jack ordered another round. Elizabeth out of breath said she couldn't possibly have another, but as the mug was set in front of her, she gulped the entire thing down in one go.

"Someone should really tell that fiddle player to stop torturing the cats." She slurred, setting down her mug.

"Do you fiddle, Mrs. Sparrow?" Bernard asked.

"I have dabbled with the violin a time or two" She said with false modesty.

"You have?" Jack asked sincerely. "I didn't know that.

"There are quite a few things you don't know about me, my dear husband."

"Why don't you show him a thing or two?" Bernard suggested with a sour smile as he leered at her from his seat.

"I think I shall!" She exclaimed as she stood up from the table.

Jack grabbed her hand gently before she went off, "Darlin, do think that's wise?"

"I am more than capable of handling myself" She pulled her hand away, nearly falling onto the table behind her, but she quickly caught herself and flashed Jack a large smile as she headed toward the musicians.

Bernard kept his eyes trained on her buttocks as he watched her go. It took everything in Jack's power, in that moment, to keep himself from punching Bernard square in the face.

Elizabeth had sauntered over to where the musicians were playing and sidled up behind the fiddle player. Reaching around the front of him, she plucked the violin and bow from his hands and began to play.

She wins, Jack thought to himself as he watched her fingers move deftly up and down the neck of the fiddle, and ever so gracefully move the bow back and forth over the strings, faster and faster.

Elizabeth was perfectly at ease behind the instrument, though her faced scrunched up in concentration as she tried to keep up with the tempo of the song. She was entrancing. Jack was having a difficult time prying his eyes away from her. Soon, his throat grew dry and his breathing quickened as he watched her fingers continue to dance. She really was quite good.

All of the tavern's patrons began to clap and cheer, and more and more people danced throughout the place.

"That's quite a woman you've found there, Jack." Bernard slurred, shaking him out of his trance.

"She never ceases to amaze me" he said, still staring at her across the room before turning his attention back to Bernard.

"So what is it that you're really after, Jack?" Bernard asked.

"I don't know what you mean?" Jack asked affronted.

"Don't you? Dangling that pretty girl in front of me. Buttering me up with rum. I have something you want. Out with it." Bernard demanded

"Very well, I was hoping to get a bit of information from you." Jack muttered.

"Oh?" Bernard asked gruffly.

Jack's voice got low and he moved closer to Bernard. "I need information about Blackbeard."

"What about him? He's dead." Bernard brushed him off quickly.

"You think I don't know that? I was there. I killed him." Jack said trying to sound more imposing than he felt in that moment.

"So, what do you need to know?" Bernard asked impatiently.

"Do you know anything about the magic with which he was bestowed?" Jack asked eagerly.

"I imagine I know the same as you. The sword controls the ship, the man controls the sword." He said into his mug. "But I'd be careful with The Revenge. Her allegiance to Blackbeard was very strong. I've seen many a men try to harness that power over the years, none of them successful."

"Well, fortunately for me I don't have The Queen Anne's Revenge, but I was wondering more about the bottles of ships he keeps in his quarters."

"Were you unlucky enough to lose your ship in that manner?" Bernard laughed "Sorry to say, I don't have the answer to that question. Far as any of us know, there isn't any coming back from that."

"That is unfortunate, indeed." Jack said picking at the wood of their table with his knife. "But I wonder if maybe you're not telling me everything."

"You dare call me a liar?!" Bernard growled, growing angry.

"Tell me, how is it that you've crossed paths with Old Captain Teach?" Jack said, his knife twirling in his hand.

"I sailed under him for a time, I did. But that was a long time ago, and I don't know nothing more than I've already told you." he said taking another drink from his mug.

"So you don't know anything about a chest?" he inquired further, getting a bit heated.

"I'm telling you, I don't know anything more! Stop harrassing me. Besides, the only thing that comes from meddling with magic is more trouble, and in the case of Blackbeard, usually death…"

"I just need a location." Jack slammed the knife into the table, frustrated by the man's evasiveness.

"I can't help ye, Jack. But cheer up. What's a ship in comparison to that shining beauty?" Bernard pointed to Elizabeth as she finished the song. The crowd cheered and she took a grand bow. When she handed the violin back to the man she took it from, the crowd began to yell for her to play more.

"Perhaps another evening!" She yelled exuberantly and made her way back to the table where she was received with applause from both Jack and Bernard.

"You put on quite the show, love. I must say I'm impressed" Jack said putting an arm around her as she sat down.

"I was just getting warmed up." she laughed, leaning into him.

"I'd love to see what else she could do with those fingers." Bernard spat.

"Another round before we're off?" Jack interrupted, trying to keep himself from shooting Bernard.

"I'll take mine to go. I have a pretty redhead waiting for me upstairs." Bernard had said. "Though not as pretty as your lass" He added with a wink.

The bar maid came around one last time. Jack bid Bernard a good evening and sneered at him after he had left. "No help at all" he muttered. When he looked back toward Elizabeth, she had her head in her arms, passed out cold on the table. "You'll have to learn how to hold your drink better, darling." He moved to pick her up, when a deep voice came from behind Jack.

"Leave her." the voice had said in an accent Jack couldn't quite place.

"Excuse me?" Jack turned around and a giant, dark skinned man with several tattoos and piercings moved toward him.

"I said leave her. I know of the chest you seek." The man said "Sit." He motioned for Jack to sit.

Jack took his seat hesitantly, keeping Elizabeth in his line of sight.

"Drink." The man gestured toward the mug, and Jack ordered a drink for his mysterious friend.


	2. Hang ups & Hangovers

**Hang ups &amp; Hangovers**

Elizabeth woke the next morning bleary eyed and disoriented. Her head pounded in her ears, like canon fire. Once she regained her focus, she realized she was back in her room._ How did I get back here? What time is it? _She thought, noticing she still had her clothes on from the previous night.

She picked herself up, walked to the window, and drew one side of the curtain open. As the daylight poured in, she recoiled from the intense brightness. She grabbed the sides of her head as the pain grew worse. _I'm never drinking again._

Elizabeth made her way down to the great hall. Jack and Teague were sitting around the table mulling over a few maps. Well, Jack had been mulling. Teague sat next to him, plucking his guitar. A plate of biscuits sat in the middle of the table next to a pot of tea.

When she entered, Jack looked up and give her a cheeky smile. "Good morning."

"What's good about it?" Elizabeth asked gruffly, grabbing a biscuit as she sat down.

Jack laughed. "See, now, I thought you always said that rum was a vile drink?"

"I really don't think this is the morning you should test my patience with you." She warned him as she held her head in her hands again, the biscuit like sawdust on her tongue.

Jack continued laughing. "I'm sorry, love. I only jest. Here, have some tea. I made it just for you."

"You made tea?" She asked skeptically. "Is it poisoned?" Elizabeth grabbed a cup and brought the warm liquid to her lips. The taste was abominable. She nearly wretched at the smell. "What on earth is this?"

"It's tea…and…a little hair of the dog…and a few other mystery ingredients." He added.

"You expect me to drink this? Is this some kind of joke?"

"Once you get passed the smell…and the taste, it really makes all of what you're feeling a little bit more bearable. Trust me. I speak from experience." Jack reassured her.

Still not convinced she looked to Teague, once again, for final confirmation. He nodded. "Just plug your nose."

Elizabeth gulped it down as quickly as she could and stuffed a biscuit in her mouth, just to get rid of that foul flavor.

"You'll feel better in no time," Jack cheered.

Still facing the table with a look of consternation, Elizabeth seemed a bit distraught, or confused, Jack thought.

"Something on your mind, love?" He asked with a peculiar expression.

"Huh? oh…uh…no, I mean…" flustered, she started again. "I was just trying to remember how we got back here."

"Well there was no way in the world you would remember that, darling. You were stone cold asleep." He laughed.

"What, and you carried me back here?" she asked in disbelief.

"Is that so hard to believe?" He seemed offended.

"No, it's just…you carried me that whole way?" She shook her head.

"I did."

"I'm so sorry, Jack. Did I make a mess of things with that Forrester fellow?"

"On the contrary, you made quite an impression at the pub last night."

"It's true" Teague added. "The whole town is talking about the pretty girl who played the fiddle."

"Excuse me?" She asked horrified.

"You don't remember that either? Pity." Jack returned to his map.

"What else happened?" She asked with a hint of reservation, unsure if she even wanted to hear the rest.

"Nothing much more of note. Bernard was of little to no help at all, a strange man approached me with a relative the location of the chest, and I learned that you are quite the accomplished violinist, but a novice when it comes to the drink." He chided.

"I'm so embarrassed" She buried her face in her hands.

"Don't be, it happens to the best of us" Teague said, "Jack has had more than a few embarrassing evenings to be sure." he said as he stood.

"Quiet, old man." Jack shot him steely gaze. Teague gave him a slight bow and left the room.

Elizabeth perked up all of a sudden, "Did you say you found out the location of the chest?"

"Glad to see your faculties returning, and yes, I did say that." Jack answered and said no more, going back to his maps.

"Well?"

"Well?…oh yes, our heading. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be a difficult venture. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Jack, where is the chest?"

"Peru."

"Peru? Jack, that's half a world away"

"Supposedly, there's an ancient city high in the mountains where there is a tribe that tells stories of such magic. The man I spoke with said that their chief bestowed these powers unto Captain Teach in exchange for help against the Spaniards."

"It's going to take months, maybe even a year to sail around the horn"

"That's not even the worst of it. If we don't leave by the end of the week, we'll have to wait out the winter months before we can even consider making the trip. That's not a lot of time to commandeer a ship and hire a crew. Fortunately, I already have Gibbs searching for men as we speak."

"Then you'll be happy to know we don't need to commandeer a ship either."

"How's That?"

"I have a ship" Elizabeth proclaimed.

"I don't think that junk will make it to Rio, much less all the way south to the ice caps."

"Who said anything about the Empress? I left her in Singapore, remember?"

"What ship then?" Jack asked thoroughly confused.

Elizabeth smiled a sly smile that made Jack slightly nervous.

—-

"He gave you his ship?!" Jack asked, astonished. Elizabeth and Jack both sitting on a couple crates on the docks staring at The Red Devil.

"He said 'a good king should have a proper ship'. What was I to do, refuse?"

"It was supposed to be my ship when that decrepit twit finally decided to cash it all in." Jack pouted

"A wonder why he didn't want you to have it?" She said sarcastically. "But fear not, Captain, this voyage is all yours. I don't wish to be in charge. All I ask in return is complete honesty."

"That's easy"

"No secrets or hidden plots."

"Never." Jack swore "Love, you can trust me. I'd never put you in harm's way." Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him. "Intentionally." He amended.

"What do you have in terms of coin?" She asked out of curiosity.

"Not much, we'll probably need to raid a few ships along the way to pay for supplies." he added.

"That's not necessary. We pillaged a Spanish galleon a fort night ago. We have plenty of supplies and weapons. Plus I don't think we want to make anymore enemies along the way."

"Well aren't you prepared? It's like you don't even need me. Maybe I should let you sail to Peru, and I'll stay here with Teague."

Elizabeth knew Jack was only playing with her, but there was something behind his words that seemed a touch deflated.

"Jack, have I done something?" she asked more timidly than she intended.

"No, of course not" He said quickly "I'm just impressed is all"

"You're sure?"

"Who's fussing over whom, now?"

"I just…what I mean to say is…um…if I'm stepping on any toes here, it is not my intention. It's your expedition. We'll do things however you see fit."

"Nonsense, love. Your contributions are invaluable. Except of course when you are just handing pounds over to every pirate that flashes you a toothy grin."

"I knew it!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "You're upset that I paid him off."

"I'm not mad about that. Though you maybe should have discussed it with me first." Jack retorted nonchalantly.

"You mean the way you discussed with me having to play the part of Mrs. Captain Jack Sparrow? He was going to bash your head in had I not been thinking on my feet. And with debts out of the way, you were able to speak freely, were you not?"

"It's not that you paid the man, it was the way you flashed your coin around in front of his face. You took the game too far. He could have easily still bashed my head in, taken you upstairs to ravage, and run off with all of that coin."

"I think you're being a touch dramatic," she said arms crossed.

"Lizzie," he said softly "I wont always be there to help you out of a jam, and you're on your own now. You can't put yourself in vulnerable positions with no plan of getting out of them. You are not invincible."

"I never asked for you to be my protector, Jack. And who says I didn't have a plan?"

"Was blacking out part of your master plan?"

"Unintended consequence. Which you brought upon me, I might add."

"You could have refused."

"And let you win? I don't think so."

"Not everything is a game, Elizabeth."

"I can handle myself. Why are so worried all of a sudden?"

"I just don't want you to get yourself killed! Is that so awful of me?"

"No, you're right. I'm sorry." She stared at the wood beneath her feet for a few moments. "I was reckless."

Jack put his hand on her shoulders, grabbing her attention. "You are a great pirate, probably even better than I am, but your pride will get you every time. Trust me on this one."

She nodded.

"You don't have to come on this adventure with me, you know?" he said gently.

"And risk you sinking my ship to the bottom of the sea, or getting her trapped in some glass bottle? Forget it. I'm coming and that's final." She stated firmly.

Jack laughed at her stern expression. "Alright then, we better get moving. There's much to prepare." he said slinging one arm over her shoulder and pulling her to him as they walked along the dock back to the city.

They walked for a little ways in silence before Jack spoke again. "It's really too bad you don't remember rest of the evening, that was quite a kiss."

Elizabeth stopped abruptly in her tracks. "What?"

"You were all over me, love. I couldn't resist." He teased as he walked away from her.

"You're not serious, are you?" She called after him.

"You'll never know, now will you?" He yelled back.

"Jack Sparrow, you tell me the truth this instant!" She screamed running after him. Jack cackled as he sprinted toward town.


	3. Squabbles

**Squabbles**

With a handful of sailors from Elizabeth's crew, The Red Devil was able to disembark and make its way to Tortuga to meet up with Gibbs and, hopefully, the crew he had found. Elizabeth had left Teague with a long list of things to look after, and upon receiving it, merely exhaled a laugh. Elizabeth hugged him tightly. His body stiffened at first, but eventually a single hand reached out, patting her on the back.

"Keep an eye on him, won't you?" He said to her.

"Of course" She answered.

Jack walked over to them and paused to stand in front of Teague. For a moment he said nothing, looking as if he was trying to decide something. Then he reached out his hand.

Teague shook his hand and pulled him close as if to give him a hug as well, but his grip was deathly strong and his voice was steely, "You let anything happen to her and I'll kill you."

Jack pulled his hand away, slightly terrified as he looked back at his father who had a big smile plastered to his face.

"What was that all about?" Elizabeth asked as they walked toward the gangplank.

"That? Nothing, you need to concern yourself over. Family squabbling." he said rubbing his hand. They both looked back toward the dock, and Teague was there waving them off cheerily. Jack shuddered noticeably, and Elizabeth shook her head, smiling to herself.

"What?" Jack asked her.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just surprised, is all."

"Surprised?" he asked.

"That you're afraid of him." she giggled and walked ahead of him up the gangplank.

"I am not" he called after her running to catch up.

When they arrived on deck, the small crew was lined up waiting for orders. There were seven of them in total, and they had all been handpicked by Elizabeth.

"I believe introductions are in order" Jack said to Elizabeth, hands clasped behind his back.

"Very well. MEN!" She bellowed and they all gathered in a straight line. "This is Captain Jack Sparrow. He will be commanding this voyage. I expect you to offer him the same respect as you do me, and I'll expect him to do the same for you." She said giving him a meaningful glance. He nodded impatiently.

Elizabeth went down the line and introduced each one. The first was a very large man they called Toby, he was stronger than ten men, but fiercely gentle and kind. He also was great for a lark. Then there was Bennett. He was the cook, but he was deadly accurate with a bow and had the keenest eye sight Elizabeth had ever seen. Jonah stood center with his younger brother, Jonathan, right beside him. A strapping boy no older than herself, Jonah Archer fought along side his father in the battle outside shipwreck cove. He had been a part of Teague's crew before The Red Devil was given to her. As a reward for his own loyalty and his father's sacrifice for her cause, she made him her first mate. His brother Jonathan was barely 13 years of age, but Jonah insisted he come along to keep the boy from getting into trouble.

The younger lad said he'd be the best cabin boy they'd ever seen, as Jack eyed him up and down. Jack kneeled down to the young boy telling him he'd be better suited for the crow's nest, given his size. When asked if he could handle that kind of responsibility, Jonathan beamed and nodded so enthusiastically, it seemed his head would fly right off of his neck. Jack laughed and moved further down the line.

Elizabeth introduced all the rest, each man as skilled and as loyal as the last.

Jack nodded in approval and began to bark orders at them. None of them moved an inch. They all stood in place as if waiting for something.

"Gentleman, I believe you heard Captain Sparrow." Elizabeth spoke in an even voice, and the men scurried to their duties. Jack looked at Elizabeth suspiciously. "You planned that, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you mean. They're just loyal to their Captain." Elizabeth feigned ignorance.

"Mm hm." Jack grunted as he turned to go to the helm.

Elizabeth smiled and moved to go to her cabin.

"Captain, if I may?" Jonah asked, approaching her.

"What is it, Jonah?" She asked curiously.

"Do you really feel it the best decision to have Captain Sparrow in command of your ship?" he asked nervously.

"Are you questioning my orders?" She asked slightly irritated.

"No, of course not. Captain Sparrow just isn't known for being the most trustworthy. I'm only concerned for you and the crew."

"I am still in command, Mister Archer, and I trust Jack with my life. I suggest you do the same."

"Yes, Captain." he bowed his head.

"There's no need to worry, Jack's a good man and a good captain. You could learn a lot from him. I certainly have."

"You are my Captain. If you say I can trust him, then I will try." He said before heading below deck.

Elizabeth turned and walked into her cabin beneath the quarter deck. Opening the door, she breathed in deeply. The smell of the sea air emanated from every plank. She walked to the window that looked out to stern, gazing happily at the white caps lapping onto the sides of the ship. She had missed being at sea. She found it increasingly more difficult to stay on land in recent months. Every two weeks or so she would have to leave the cove for a few days just to get out onto the water. Jack had returned just in time. If Teague hadn't brought him back, she wouldn't have hesitated to take her ship and look for him herself.

Turning back to the main cabin, she grabbed what little belongings she brought with her and took them into the side cabin. She had a habit of keeping most of her things on the ship, so that she could make sail at a moment's notice, only keeping her most prized processions with her at all times. The heart, however, she had left with Teague, afraid that such a long journey would put it at too much risk.

She set her things down in a pile and flopped onto her bed, basking in the breeze that flowed through the port side window. Just as sleep was coming over her, she heard a loud commotion coming from the deck. _What now?_ She thought.

Emerging from her cabin, she noticed a stand off between Jack and Jonah. Both yelling and threatening each other while the other crew members cheered them on. Not waiting to assess the situation, she yelled, "What on earth is going on out here?!"

Elizabeth's crew immediately fell in line.

"Did I not make myself abundantly clear not a moment ago?"

"Aye, Captain, ye did, but…" Jonah stammered.

"But what?" Elizabeth asked, losing her patience.

"If I may…" cut in Jack, "there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding" he said stepping closer to Elizabeth

"Obviously. What's the issue?" Elizabeth asked annoyed.

"He tried to take my cabin!"Jonah interrupted stepping in between Elizabeth and Jack.

"Well, I can't very well sleep in the hold with the crew." Jack spat back, and he and Jonah began arguing again.

"Alright, ENOUGH!" Elizabeth yelled again. "Jack, may I see you for a moment?"

"Right" he said sheepishly and followed her toward the quarter deck steps.

"If you are going to captain this voyage, for god's sake, captain it. I'll shoulder the blame this time since I never addressed the sleeping arrangements, but I don't need you quarreling with the crew like a child. These are some of my best men, and I need you to treat them that way. As for where you'll sleep, you can take the extra bed in my cabin. It's small, but it should suffice. Remember, this is still my ship, and I am still king, so if it comes down to it, I have veto power."

"Of course, your majesty." He bowed with pointed mockery.

"I won't hesitate to keel haul you." She said the humor returning to her voice.

"I don't doubt that one bit." He said grabbing his own things and taking them into her cabin.

"Elizabeth made her way over to Jonah. "Your cabin is your own again. You'll have no more problems from him."

"I know you say I can trust him, Captain, but…"

Elizabeth cut him off. "I'll hear no more of this, Jonah. You and Captain Sparrow are going to have to figure out a way to get along. Now kindly get back to work. All of you!"

"Of course, Captain." he said, walking away dejectedly.

When she made her way back into her cabin, she saw no sign of Jack. Quickly, she moved to her side cabin, only to find Jack sprawled out on her own bed.

"Absolutely not. Get up!" She said shoving him out of the bed.

"Oi! Use your words, Lizzie." he said rubbing his backside.

"I did. I said, Get up! Not even a full day in and you're already trying to agitate me? I usually get a few days of peace before your antics start."

"I just thought you suggested the smaller bed for their sake. You know, so they didn't get the wrong idea." he joked.

"It's you who has the wrong idea. You will be sleeping in the other room. Now, please, I just want a moment to rest before we reach Tortuga." She said shoving him into the other cabin.

"What am I supposed to do?" He whined.

"Oh, I don't know. Why don't you run the damned ship." She barked and shut the door in his face.

"Admit it. You're happy that I'm here." Jack yelled from the other side of the door.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and made her way back towards her bed, letting the waves lull her to sleep.


	4. Tortuga

**Tortuga**

The morning arrived with no further incident. Elizabeth woke at the sun's first light, and with a large stretch and a yawn, she begrudgingly got herself out of bed and made her way into the main cabin. Jack was passed out, sprawled on the window seat, and snoring rather loudly. She chuckled inwardly at the sight. _He must have been too inebriated to find the bed_, she thought to herself as she cleared the empty rum bottles from the floor. On the desk, maps covered every surface. The books they had been looking through a few nights previous, were left open amongst the clutter. She poked around to see if Jack had come upon anything of note, but nothing immediately jumped out at her.

She eventually found her way to the helm, Jonah looking as if he were to fall asleep at any moment.

"Good morning" She greeted him.

"Good morning, Captain. Did you sleep?"

"For once, I did. But I think a better question is whether or not you did?"

"Captain Sparrow, worked us well into the night and rewarded us all with a bit of rum.

"He did? Well, I'm glad to see you two have worked out your differences." Though, Elizabeth knew the reason for Jonah's mistrust had much to do with her. Jonah had fancied her. He told her as much not long after she had made him her first mate, but she made it clear that she was a married woman. He understood, but always remained very protective of her. Jack was clearly a threat in his eyes, silly as it may have been. Though, if Jonah knew she was no longer spoken for…she imagined things could get a whole lot worse.

"Yes, he does appear to be all that you say he is, but I've yet to make my final judgement" He said rigidly.

"I expected nothing less. Now why don't you get some sleep, there is still much to be done and we will need all hands." She touted.

"Aye, Captain." He gave her a quick nod.

Jack had emerged from Elizabeth's cabin around mid afternoon, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He walked around the ship from bow to stern to see that all was in order. Clapping men on the back, and spouting a few words of encouragement, Jack made quick work of keeping up morale. But, Elizabeth noted, he and Jonah still kept a safe distance from each other.

Jack made his way up to the quarter deck and leaned against the railing next to the helm.

"Glad to see you finally decided to join us" Elizabeth said with a smirk.

"I'll have you know, while you were getting you're much needed beauty rest, I was hard at work until dawn."

"Hard at work? I thought drinking rum came quite easily to you?" She laughed.

"Aye, it does, but only after a good bit of hard work."

"You'll have to let me know when that happens again, so I know what it looks like." She tied a rope to the helm to keep it steady and turned toward him. "We're nearing Tortuga. You're certain Gibbs will have a crew ready?"

"If there is one person I trust more on this earth to get a job done, it's Gibbs."

"Should I consider that a slight?" She mused.

"Goddesses are beyond this earth." he professed melodramatically on one knee, clutching her hand.

"Oh, please." She snatched her hand away. "And get up from there, you're making a scene."

"Can I no longer pay my King any compliments?"

"Not if you want to keep your tongue."

"Very well." He stood and dropped his guise. "We should make way as soon as possible once we arrive. Supply the ship, get the crew acquainted and be off by dawn. Any objections?"

"None."

"Good."

The two of them continued to trade barbs and talk of old times, laughing the entire time. Jonah watched them from the deck, and his blood began to boil. Elizabeth wasn't his, and he knew that, but all the same, he didn't care for the way Jack carried on all of the time. His captain's judgment was obviously impaired when it came to the other pirate captain, and he was going to make sure she saw the true scoundrel that Jack was. He just wasn't sure how.

They pulled into Tortuga later that evening. Gibbs stood, waiting on the docks for them as they tied up the ship. He had been guarding crates, barrels, and various supplies Jack had purposed him to get. Elizabeth ordered the men to load the cargo as quickly as possible if they intended to spend anytime in town before they departed at dawn.

Elizabeth and Jack walked down the gangplank to meet Gibbs. "Miss Elizabeth!" He exclaimed happily. Throwing an arm over her shoulder and giving a fatherly squeeze.

"Mister Gibbs. It is good to see you" she beamed.

"Jack." Gibbs extended his hand toward the captain.

"Hello, mate. What's the word on our crew?"

"Well, it was slim pickings, but I believe I found sailors suitable for the journey."

"How many?" Elizabeth asked.

"Ten, all told." he said "They're all at the faithful bride enjoying their last night on land"

"Perhaps we should do the same. Elizabeth, care to join us?" Jack had asked her.

"I'll meet you later. I have to pick up a few things." She moved toward the northern part of town.

Jack grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back.

"Yes?" She asked amused.

"Do you think it wise to go galavanting through Tortuga at night by yourself?"

"Will you stop worrying about me? Just because I no longer have the protection of the Captain of the Flying Dutchman, doesn't mean I'm some frail and delicate flower?" She said in a hushed tone.

"Someone should be looking out for you." He persisted.

"I appreciate the sentiment, I really do, but I'll be fine on my own. Go on with Gibbs, I'll be not more than an hour." She said placing a hand on his cheek. "If I'm not back by then, you can come searching for me." She turned and walked away. Jack, squinting, watched her leave as Gibbs approached him.

"Her and William are…?"

"A thing of the past." He said turning back to Gibbs.

"That's interesting." Gibbs muttered.

"Shall we?" Jack ignored the comment and gestured toward the faithful bride.

The evening continued and Jack and Gibbs were locked in conversation as they discussed their plans. Jonah kept his eyes on Jack from a table hidden in the corner of the tavern. He followed them closely once Elizabeth headed into town. While she was off running errands, he was sure he'd be able to catch Jack doing something unsavory. Just then a strange man approached Jack and whispered something in his ear. Jack stood and followed the man into the alley. Jonah followed. Peering around the corner, he saw Jack hand the man money in exchange for something. He had to strain his ears to hear the conversation.

"This'll do nicely. It's about time that damn woman got what she deserved."

He heard Jack say. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being sheathed. _He was planning on killing her?! _Jonah thought to himself._ Not if I have anything to say about it_.

The strange man walked passed him and Jonah pressed himself flatly against the wall, hoping to remain unnoticed. As he did this, he heard another voice and froze.

"Jack, what are you doing out here?" Elizabeth asked coming from the other end of the alleyway, a parcel under one arm. "I was sure you'd be well into your fifth tankard of rum by now." She teased.

"Only three, in fact, but while you're here, I have something for you."

_He's not wasting anytime. Neither will I. _Jonah decided, and rounded the corner.

Grabbing Jack by the shoulder, he turned him around a punched him square in the face, knocking Jack to the ground.

"Jonah!" Elizabeth screamed as Jonah crouched over Jack and issued a barrage of punches, each finding their mark quite well.

She quickly tried to pull Jonah off of him. "Stop it! That' enough!' She said, dragging him to the floor. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"He intends to kill you" he said out of breath

"What?!" Jack and Elizabeth said in unison. Elizabeth moved to Jack's side, helping him to his feet and examining his face.

"I heard you and that man talking. You bought a sword from him, with the intention of running her through with it." Jonah said unsheathing his own sword. Jack turned from Elizabeth toward the misguided Jonah and unsheathed his sword as well.

"Listen, boy, if you plan to eavesdrop on matters that don't concern you, I suggest you make good and sure you know what it is that you heard. Lest your plan is to get yourself killed."

Jack stepped closer to him until the tip of his sword tickled just below Jonah's chin.

"If I were planning on killing her, I wouldn't bother spending coin on a new sword, I'd just as well use my own." Jack pressed his sword a little harder. "As it happens, I did buy a sword from that man you saw me with" Jack said, sheathing his sword. Elizabeth's head snapped toward him. "But it was only intended to be a gift."

He turned toward Elizabeth and handed her a dark leather scabbard. "A thank you for lending me your ship." Elizabeth unsheathed the thing and gasped. It was a very fine sword, indeed. Finer than anything she'd had up to that point. The hilt was adorned with a swan, wings outstretched, and crimson cord wrapped around the handle. "Jack, it's beautiful."

"Finest steel in the Caribbean, love. I figured you could use an improvement from the scrap metal you've been using." He said, spitting blood onto the cobblestones.

In shock, Elizabeth uttered a quiet "Thank you."

Jonah looked to the ground, ashamed. "I…I'm sorry. I thought…"

Elizabeth was shaken from her reverie. "Jonah." She said approaching him. "I told you to trust him, to trust my judgement. You must understand, I've known Jack for quite a long time and I'm well aware of his many character flaws." Jack snapped his head toward her, jokingly offended. "But, as I have continually told you, he is a good man." She paused briefly. "I think it might be best if you find passage back to Shipwreck Cove."

"Elizabeth, please…"

"It's Captain Swann," she interrupted, "and I will have no arguments about it. We will discuss the matter further upon my return. I will not continue to have discord on my ship." She said resolutely.

"What about Jonathan?" Jonah asked, hesitantly.

"He is welcome to stay aboard. I will make sure he is well taken care of."

Jonah nodded and made his way back into the tavern.

"And I thought William was bad." Jack joked, moving his nose back and forth.

Elizabeth looked to his face again, examining the damage. "We should get you cleaned up."

"Naught but a scratch, darling. Why don't you buy me a drink instead?" he asked pleadingly

"Oh, alright, but just one."

"Of course." He opened the door for her, allowing her to walk in first.

The pair of them joined Gibbs who remained focused on his mug. At the sight of Jack's face, he nearly spit out his drink "Mother's love, Jack what happened?"

"Just had to teach a miscreant a lesson. No one threatens Miss Swann. Right, love?" He said too loudly.

"Right." She snickered and waved for the barmaid.

"Thankfully, she had Captain Jack Sparrow at her side to rescue her." He boasted.

At that, Elizabeth burst out laughing. "Don't mind him, Mister Gibbs, he's delusional."

Jonah had been watching them from the other side of the room and stood as he heard Jack's voice over the din. Jack noticed and wiggled his fingers at him in a dainty sort of wave. Elizabeth grabbed his hand and forced it down onto the table. "Stop it" She whispered to him under her breath. Jonah stormed out of the tavern, knocking a few drunkards down along the way.

"I feel I may have missed something." Gibbs declared.

"Jack's just trying to make a bad situation worse. Like always." Elizabeth answered.

"He started it." Jack argued.

"Jack." Elizabeth warned him.

"What?"

"Trouble already follows you like a shadow, there's no need to encourage it." Elizabeth stated plainly

"I'd listen to the girl if I were you." Gibbs pointed out.

"Now you're against me too? Is there no one on my side?" Jack threw his hands into the air.

"Your rum." The barmaid said, setting down their mugs, and the three of them laughed wildly into the night.


	5. The Bet

**The Bet**

A month had passed before any of them had realized. The wind had been favorable, the seas clear of trading ships, and better still, no navy to speak of. The crew Gibbs had found were excellent sailors; hardworking and efficient men, and they all got on splendidly. It was almost as if it were fated to be so. Although, it was shaky at first. Jonah disappeared without any explanation to the younger Archer. Elizabeth certainly didn't want to give him the real answer, but the explanation she did give, hurt Jonathan all the same. The whole situation left a sour taste in her mouth. She and Jack discussed it at length before they left Tortuga.

"We could take him back to Shipwreck Cove, as well." Jack offered from Elizabeth's desk.

"We can't afford the extra day it would take to get him there, and I don't want him to feel unwelcome here. He already feels abandoned." She replied, staring out the window.

"I still don't understand why you would have kept him as your first mate if you knew of his deep and passionate longing for you."

"I told him I was married. I thought we could continue just as friends. Clearly, I was wrong." She said flatly.

"It's hard for people to let go of an idea." He mused. Jack's comment was more true than even he knew. She should have known better. It had been the same for her and Will. Neither had wanted to let go of the idea of "them", even knowing they weren't exactly happy. They'd clung so tightly to their relationship that they strangled it, suffocated it. She suddenly felt stupid for putting so much of herself into something that just weren't there. She was never more grateful to have Jack back in her life. He never tried to be anything more than what he was and he was the one person she was able to truly count on. _Imagine that. _She thought to herself.

Jack interrupted her thoughts, "So, what are we to do?"

"He's staying, of course. We'll make a decent pirate out of him yet. His hurt will make him stronger. Better to learn betrayal now than when it can actually harm him."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

And so, Jonathan stayed. For the next month, the crew had taken him under their wing, and taught him all manner of things. Even things Elizabeth had hoped they wouldn't. Most recently, they had let him partake in a drinking game of sorts, and they got the lad so drunk, he purged the contents of his stomach from the crow's nest onto the deck. When he awoke in the morning, he was positively green and the deck thoroughly saturated. Jack had found the whole thing quite funny, but Elizabeth less so. She gave the crew double shifts for the next week, and made poor Jonathan mop up the entire mess with his own shirt.

"You're being a bit hard on the boy, don't you think?" Jack asked her as he entered the cabin.

"A boy his age doesn't need to be indulging in the vices of men." She spoke from behind her desk.

"You're not his mother, Elizabeth. He can learn these things for himself. I'd say he was punished enough as it is, judging from the color of his sick." He chuckled

"Jack be serious. He needs to learn that there are consequences for his actions." She said staring down at the map in front of her

"Punishments need to come from the Captain" Jack said seriously.

"I couldn't agree more." She said looking up at him. "If the Captain would actually maintain an air of authority on this ship, I wouldn't feel compelled to do so myself."

"Are you implying that I do not have a firm grip on my crew?"

"I'm _implying_ that it gets to be rather confusing as to who is, in fact, in charge of this vessel."

"It only appears that way because you can't keep yourself from controlling everything."

"I can too." She argued.

"Pfft." Jack scoffed at her

"I do not need to be in control of everything." She combatted, standing in front of him.

"Prove it." He stated firmly. "I bet you can't go a whole month without questioning me or my decisions."

She looked at him seriously. "One week." She bargained.

"Two."

"I'll take that bet, but you can't purposefully make terrible decisions." She pointed a finger in his face.

"Alright. And no giving orders to the crew unless I give the order first." he added.

"Fine. What do I get if I win?"

"Three days, no duties."

"You get the same?"

"Yes, but I also get to have all the rum I want." Elizabeth rolled her eyes "Do we have an accord?"

"We do." She shook his outstretched hand and he grinned cheekily.

Jack had decided to take a few extra days of leave when they reached Rio, as a reward for all of the fine work the crew had done. Elizabeth badly wanted to warn Jack of the impending winter, and that staying any extra amount of time was risky. Not to mention, Rio was littered with French privateers who could attack them at any moment, but she refrained. There was no way she'd give Jack the satisfaction of winning. There goes her pride again, she thought. Was the stupid bet really worth the safety of the expedition? Ultimately she decided that, yes, it was. So, when they were chased back onto The Red Devil and out of the harbor, she said nothing. Upon realizing that they still hadn't restocked the ship while they were docked, she still said nothing. It wasn't until the third stop they had made along the coast of Brazil that she could no longer keep her mouth shut.

"Jack." She said, approaching the helm. "We'll never make it around the horn before winter if we keep making stops."

"Am I to understand this as your white flag?"

"We need to do a better job rationing." She said, ignoring him.

"Pish tosh, Darling. We'll be fine." He waved her off.

"At the rate the rum is being consumed, we'll need to stop twice as much as originally planned. The more rum they drink, the more food they eat, it's getting a bit ridiculous. And you encourage them!"

"I think I'll start my three days right now." He said letting go of the helm, talking over her.

Elizabeth had to grab it quickly as it started to spin wildly.

"Jack!" she called after him. "I wish you would take this more seriously."

"Lizzie, I promise you." Jack turned back to her "We'll. Be. Fine." He said, tapping his finger on her nose. He turned and whistled his way below deck, undoubtedly, to the rum cellar.

Elizabeth let out a frustrated groan.

—-

As Jack predicted, the weather remained calm over the next couple of weeks, and he continued to rub that fact in Elizabeth's face as she, Jack, and Gibbs played a game of cards in the Captain's cabin.

"I've always told you to trust Ol' Jack, love." He said before taking a sip of rum.

"Oh, shut it. You won. Why won't you just leave me be?" She gave a wave like she was shooing away a pest.

Gibbs suppressed a chuckle.

"Because you should know by now that I know what's best for you" Jack said turning his head toward Elizabeth.

"Oh yes, and did you know what was best for me when you got me arrested in Singapore?" She asked, a smug expression on her face.

"I was never going to let you rot there for long." he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"It should never have happened in the first place!" She scoffed.

"You didn't follow orders, if you recall?"

"I recall you getting distracted by a pretty brunette and missing my signal." She said, eyeing him.

"Hmm. I don't remember that." Gibbs laughed again.

"Well do you remember me saving your hide from those savages in Madagascar?"

"I remember you nearly sinking our ship off the coast of Madagascar."

The bickering continued for quite some time, each one declaring they'd saved the other more times. Gibbs, couldn't stop himself from laughing. They were behaving like children. One more stubborn than the last.

Amidst the revelry, Bennett came bursting in."Captain! There's a storm cell ahead." He panted.

Elizabeth immediately shot Jack a look that screamed 'I told you so'

"Don't even start." Jack said, grabbing his coat and heading on deck.

The wind was whipping furiously and the sky was black. The clouds hung like smoke over the water making it impossible to see. The rain was just beginning to fall. Jack barked at the crew to light the lanterns and to batten down the hatches. Everyone moved as quickly as they could to get the cannons strapped in place and the cargo below deck.

Everywhere you looked, men were running around trying to get into position before they hit the worst of it. As the storm progressed and the rain poured down, the ship began to rock violently over the waves. Pitching back and forth, it was hard for them to keep their footing. Elizabeth noticed Jonathan having trouble tying off a sail and rushed down to the deck to help him. Jack stood steady at the helm. He always did enjoy a good storm.

Elizabeth reached him just in time and caught the rope as it slid out of his hands. With his help, they were able to tie the rope off. He yelled a 'thank you' that never reached her ears over the thunder and roaring of the sea. As she smiled back to him, the ship rocked dramatically to one side, and a loose bit of chain shot tangled into a coil of rope wrapped itself around her ankle, dragging her across the deck. She screamed as she broke through the railing with barely enough time to catch herself before going over completely. The weight of the chain kept pulling her down toward the ocean, and she was unable to keep her grip on the post. She screamed as she dropped again, this time catching the edge of the deck. Hearing her scream, Jack quickly handed the helm over to Gibbs and ran towards the side of the ship.

White knuckled, arms stretched above her head, and the weight around her ankle increasing, she felt a giant pop in her shoulder and dropped immediately into the water just as Jack was getting to her.

Without hesitation, he jumped into the water after her. Grasping her around the waist, he pulled her to the ship's ladder, calling up for a rope. The crew quickly hoisted them up and dropped them onto the deck.

Jack reached for Elizabeth's arm to pull her up, but she screamed in agony as he tugged. Jack inspected her arm, and looked up at Gibbs.

"Dislocated?" Gibbs asked, and Jack nodded before sitting down behind Elizabeth who was writhing, clutching her arm. The crew looked on with worry.

Putting her head in his lap, he whispered, "Look at me, love" as he cupped her face in his hands. "This is going to hurt". She nodded back at him, pain deep in her eyes as Gibbs knelt down beside her, grasping her injured arm. "Deep breath in." Elizabeth did as she was instructed. "Deep breath out."

As she released her breath, Gibbs gave a hard pull on her arm, popping the shoulder back into place. She let out a blood curdling cry and wriggled uncomfortably on the deck. "That's a good girl." Jack said encouragingly. "Gibbs, help me get her up." Arm still clutched to her chest, they brought her to her feet. "Can you walk?" Jack asked concerned, and she nodded meekly.

"Show's over, mates. Last I checked, we were still sailing through a storm." He barked, ushering Elizabeth to her cabin.

Jack sat her down on the edge of her bed, and poured her a glass of rum. "Drink this," he said, handing it to her. She tried to take a sip using her injured arm and hissed from the pain shooting through her right shoulder. "Other arm." he chuckled from across the room while he rifled through her cabinets. She moved the glass to the other hand and shot back the entire glass. Making his way back to her, Jack sat on the bed with a piece of fabric in his hands. "Now you were saying who has saved whom more times now?" he asked, gingerly grabbing her arm.

"Shut it, Jack." She said through gritted teeth.

"We should probably get you into something dry before I tend to this." He said timidly.

"Are you offering to help me undress?" She teased him.

Flustered, Jack stammered, "I only meant…um…do you need help?"

Elizabeth laughed in spite of the pain. "I'll see how far I can get without assistance." She said ushering him out of her cabin. She untied her breeches with her left hand and let them drop to the floor. She grabbed a fresh pair, stepped into them and struggled slightly as she pulled them up. She soon realized she would need both hands to tie them. Elizabeth grimaced as she lowered her arm slowly and eventually tied an unsophisticated knot in the laces.

"There, that wasn't so hard." She said to herself. The next garment would not prove so easy. As she attempted to free herself from her shirt, she yelped as pain shot through her shoulder when her arm was lifted. There was no way she was getting out of this.

"Jack." She called to him defeated. "I need help." She slumped down onto the bed.

Jack peered in, a hand lazily covering his eyes. "Is everyone decent?"

"For now" She huffed. "I can't get this off" She whined, pulling on the hem of her shirt.

"There's a simple solution here, love. Stand up." He held his hand out to help her up. "Turn around." Standing with her back facing him, Jack pulled out a knife and ripped the back of her shirt apart. His breath caught for a fraction of a second as he glanced down at her exposed skin.

"You should be able to slip this off now." He said pocketing his knife.

"Thank you" She said as she pulled the garment down her left arm, and then more gingerly down her right arm.

As he lifted his eyes and realized what she was doing, Jack quickly turned around, trying to keep Elizabeth's modesty in tact. He took in a few deep breaths in attempt to regain his own composure.

Elizabeth grabbed a shirt that buttoned down the front, so she wouldn't have to slip anything over her head. Once she'd finished to turned to find Jack staring awkwardly at the ceiling.

"You can turn around now, Jack"

He turned and gave her a lopsided smile. "Shall I get you wrapped up, then?"

"Please" She exhaled, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted and desperate to take the weight off of her injured shoulder.

Jack grabbed her arm again and positioned it in front of her chest. Elizabeth winced as Jack let her arm hang slightly while he got the sling in place.

"You'll need to keep the arm supported for a few days." He said, tying the fabric in place. "You sure have a knack for scaring a man half to death."

"I'm sorry" She whispered as he let his hand linger by her neck a bit longer than necessary. He gently rubbed his thumb across her jaw, letting her know it was all right, and she caught his gaze briefly before dropping her eyes to the floor, all of a sudden embarrassed.

Jack quickly dropped his hand to his side, afraid he'd overstepped his bounds somehow. "All done." He said, clearing his throat.

Getting to his feet, perhaps more swiftly than he intended, Jack moved to the table and took a large sip from the bottle of rum. "I better see to things out there." He said before coming over and pouring another glass for her. "You'll be alright?" He asked.

"I'll manage." She said softly.

"Good. Get some rest" He said, moving toward the door.

"Thank you, Jack." She said sincerely. Nodding, he turned and closed the door behind him.

With a heavy sigh, Elizabeth emptied her glass and set it on the night stand. Her shoulder throbbed and she hoped the rum would soon take affect. She leaned herself back against her pillows and quickly fell into a deep slumber.

Meanwhile on deck, Jack walked up to the helm to relieve Gibbs, looking a bit haggard.

"How is she?" Gibbs asked.

"She'll be fine. A bit shaken, but she'll be right as rain before you know it." Jack spoke, finally allowing himself to release the deep breath he'd been holding just moments ago.

"And you, Captain?" Gibbs asked.

"What about me?"

"Are you all right?"

"Of course, Why shouldn't I be?" Jack asked.

"I don't know, just thought I'd ask." he said, impishly eyeing his captain's disheveled state.

"I appreciate the concern." Jack paused. "Damn woman was right, though. We took too much time in Brazil. Storms are only going to get worse from here on out."

Gibbs nodded.

"Don't tell her I said that." Jack ordered quickly.


	6. Bloody Stubborn Pirates

**Bloody Stubborn Pirates**

It took more than a couple of days for Elizabeth's shoulder to heal, leading Jack to believe she'd damaged it beyond just the location. What should have been a fairly short recovery time, turned into nearly a month and a half of painful rehabilitation. The increasingly cold temperatures weren't helping matters either.

Elizabeth's joint felt stiff and the encompassing muscles were as tight as a tack line. For the first week she kept her arm in the sling, frustrated beyond measure that she was deemed useless. The second week she started to test its mobility, but could barely lift her arm. Jack suggested she try to lift things of very little weight in order to build up the muscle. Her mobility improved slightly, but any serious weight cut like a dagger. A lesson she found out the hard way, trying to lift her sword. Jack had said it might be a good idea to spar, but when she made to raise the damn thing, it clattered to the ground and she screamed, more out of frustration than pain.

Her condition didn't improve much in the weeks that followed. She had been most unpleasant in those weeks, and when Jack suggested she learn to fight with her left hand, she threw an empty rum bottle at his head, missing only by inches as she stormed off below deck.

Jack, the ever patient friend, approached her carefully as she sat at the bottom of the steps.

"I'm not sure I deserved that, but, in case I'm wrong, maybe you could inform me of what I said that offended you so?" Jack asked softly.

"You don't believe this will heal." She said emotionlessly, accusing him of thinking exactly what she feared herself.

"I never said that. I'm merely suggesting that maybe, for the time being, you should be able to fight left handed. It would certainly save me some worry should we come upon a dastardly foe." Jack smiled as he sat down next to her.

"But what if it doesn't?" She asked sullenly, keeping her eyes trained on the planks in front of her.

"Now, that doesn't sound like you. You can't be giving up already?" Jack looked at her in surprise.

"It just feels hopeless." She continued to stare blankly at the planks of wood beneath her feet.

"It's difficult, but it's not hopeless. I've seen men come back from injury much worse than that." he said, putting a comforting hand on her back.

"I'm no man." She scoffed.

"Perhaps not, but you're stronger than most men I've met."

"Please don't patronize me."

"I'm not." Jack said sternly "Now stop moping about. Get up off your ass, and pick up your sword." he said, getting up and pulling her to her feet.

"Jack" She laughed at the display he seemed to be putting on for her.

"I'm deadly serious, love. What do you want?" He said holding her shoulders square in front of him.

"What do you mean?" She was confused by his question and the seriousness in his eyes.

"Is it pity you're after?"

"Of course it isn't."

"Do you want to spend every storm or fight holed up in your cabin?"

"Jack." She tried to interrupt him

"Do you want to be able to defend yourself?"

"Of course I do, but-"

"Then you're going to have to be patient and willing to go through a certain amount of pain to find relief on the other side."

Sighing, she agreed. "Alright."

From that moment on, she pushed herself harder than she had been and clenched her teeth through the pain. Jack forced her to spar with him everyday, it was excruciating, but, ultimately, it helped. Her only hurdle yet to face, and probably the most important, was sustaining the fight.

She was able to hold her sword, attack, and parry, but only for short bursts at a time. There was no doubt she had improved, but she still had a long way to go.

They were nearing Buenos Aires when they came upon an East India Trading ship. Jack had been positively giddy to see the ship bobbing in the water like a sitting duck. He barked to the crew, "Alright lads, time to do a bit of honest pillaging."

Elizabeth went in to her cabin to get her coat and scabbard. Following her in, Jack stopped her.

"Maybe you should stay in here." He spoke gingerly

"What? Why?" She asked, clearly on edge.

"You still can't fight without getting fatigued. You'll only put yourself and the rest of us in danger." he spoke plainly.

"I'll be fine." she said with defiance.

"Lizzie." He said her name with such impatience, it made her feel foolish.

"I don't need your protection, Jack. How many times do I have to tell you this?"

Jack stopped to think for a moment, quickly weighing the pros and cons, and decided a mad Elizabeth was better than a dead one. "It's a no, Lizzie. That's an order. Stay here until I come back to get you"

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" She yelled at him. "You don't get to tell me what I can or can't do!" Elizabeth tried to push past him, but he pushed her back away from the door, grasping her by both arms.

"Be reasonable, would you? It's just this once." He said trying to calm her.

"You be reasonable! Stop treating me as If I'm some child."

"Well then stop behaving as one." He regretted his words almost immediately as her hand collided with his cheek, sucking in a quick breath as a dull pain shot through her shoulder.

"You're staying in here and that's final." he snapped at her as he slammed the door behind him.

Elizabeth groaned in frustration. _Damn you, Jack Sparrow_ , she screamed inwardly and, a few seconds later, outwardly.

On the other side of the door, Jack prepared to board the other ship. What he didn't expect, however, was that the Red Devil would be boarded first. About 20 sailors swung onto their deck with their swords at the ready and the ship's cannons were trained to fire at their signal.

Jack yelled, "Give no quarter!" As he charged the sailor closest to him. "Gibbs! Get this ship out of firing range!"

All across the deck, swords were clanging and clashing together. The Red Devil moved further and further away as the enemy ship continued its attempts to fire on her. More men from the other ship tried to swing over, but to no avail. If they could just hold the Company's crew, they would have the advantage. The other sailors were well trained in combat, that much was certain. Jack and the rest of the crew were struggling to maintain dominance. Only a few of the crew that Gibbs had found were actually good swordsmen. Toby, the large man from Lizzie's crew was an excellent fighter, and took on three men at once, bowling them over the side of the ship. Once Bennett fought his way to the mast, he was able to shimmy up to the crow's nest with his bow and start picking sailors off one by one. But even that wasn't enough. They were outnumbered.

Elizabeth paced furiously back and forth in her cabin. She'd be damned if she'd sit idly by while there was fighting to be done._ Stupid Jack, what does he know about me? _She thought as she grabbed her scabbard and headed out the door. When she arrived on deck, it was utter chaos. Crew members were strewn across the deck, locked in battle. Directly in front of her, Jack was up against two men at once, attacking him from both sides. She could see his movements slowing, he was tiring. Just as Jack was about to be run through, Elizabeth unsheathed her sword with her left hand and cut down Jack's attacker. The second man came up behind Elizabeth and Jack shoved his cutlass through his gut.

"Thanks." they said in unison and quickly turned their attention to the remaining sailors. The battle ended fairly quickly after that. The company ship was sent to the bottom of the sea and its crew along with it, but not before they stripped it of all its goods.

"Tonight, we celebrate!" Jack had exclaimed. They had very little injury and no losses, a victory indeed. The entirety of the crew whooped in excitement and prepared the deck for what would surely be a raucous celebration.

Elizabeth went back into her cabin, Jack following behind her. She immediately went to the cabinet for a couple of bandages.

"Care to explain why you deliberately disobeyed a direct order?" He asked rather stiffly.

"You can spare me the lecture, Jack. I'll not apologize for my actions." She said resolutely, inspecting a few cuts on her forearm. "Had I not gone out on deck when I did, you wouldn't be standing here to give me said lecture."

Jack huffed at her response and paused before speaking again. "You could have told me. Would have saved us an argument" he said from the far end of the room.

"Told you what?" She asked, looking up with sincere confusion.

"That you'd been practicing with your left hand."

Elizabeth gave a small snort, smiling impishly at him. "I haven't been practicing with my left hand. I am left handed." She said cleaning up a cut on her arm.

"Beg your pardon?" Jack asked perplexed.

"I didn't need to train with my left hand because I am, and have always been, left handed." She said succinctly.

"You mean to tell me that all of this time I've known you, you've been fighting with your weaker hand?"

"I wouldn't say it was weaker, but yes." She said casually.

"So why then were you hurling bottles at my person at the mere suggestion of something you already knew how to do?"

"I rather enjoy being an ambidextrous sword fighter. I was afraid of losing that advantage."

"Still, you could have said something." He added, pouting.

"A girl needs to keep a few secrets." She shrugged.

"I suppose she does" he said suspiciously. "Anything else I should know."

"Nothing I'd be willing to divulge at this juncture." She smiled and sat him down so she could bandage up the few cuts he had.

"You're left handed." He said again in disbelief as Elizabeth cleaned a particularly large gash.

"Repeating it doesn't make it any less true. We might need to stitch this up."

He nodded, motioning for her to go ahead and do it. "It just comes as a bit of shock. I can usually pick up on those things. People have certain tells when they fight with their off hand."

"I spent a long time practicing, so that wouldn't happen."

"Four hours a day?" He asked teasing and Elizabeth stuck him with the needle a bit harder than necessary.

"Ow."

"I wouldn't provoke me." She teased back.

"No arguments here, love. You're a hell of a fighter as it is, but add that left hand and you're down right lethal. Though, I knew that already" He said with a wince as she started stitching his wound closed.

"Have you ever heard the expression 'Quit while you're ahead'?" She asked with a smile while she began stitching him up.

Jack merely smirked back at her and watched Elizabeth's fingers work the needle and thread. He laughed inwardly at the deep look of concentration on her face. Her need to make the stitching perfect great amused him. There was silence for a moment and Jack spoke again.

"I'm sorry I kept you in here. Won't happen again."

Elizabeth was taken aback momentarily. _Did he really just apologize? _She was so surprised, she wasn't able to find a witty retort to fire back at him. "It's fine, really. I shouldn't have been so difficult. I can't expect you to know my secrets if I don't tell them." she paused. "I'm sorry I slapped you." She muttered quickly.

"It's been a trying month for all of us. Honestly, I'm surprised you hadn't done it sooner." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "I suppose thanks are in order." He added.

"What for?" She asked, watching him as he shifted uneasily.

"Well, you did save my life." he threw the words away, not wanting to admit that she did.

"I guess that makes us even?" She said more than asked. A smug smile was plastered to her face.

"For now. Are you going to come and join in the festivities?" He changed the subject.

"I suppose."

"I'll wager the gents would love to hear a little music." he suggested.

"I'm not sure I can hold up the bow for any sustained period of time."

"You won't know unless you try. You have to push yourself, remember? And besides, maybe it will help stretch that muscle back to where it used to be."

Elizabeth nodded. She went back to the cabinet and pulled out a gorgeously crafted violin with a spruce and maple body. Later, she would tell Jack that it was a gift from her mother for her eighth birthday, just before she died. She had always wanted Elizabeth to learn. So, Elizabeth took lessons twice a week and had played everyday since then. It had been her most prized procession. She had even risked going back to Port Royal just to retrieve it.

Stuffing it under her arm, she followed Jack on deck. The crew danced and sang all through the night. The men clapped raucously to each tune and encouraged Elizabeth to keep playing as they drank. She had played like her shoulder was as good as new. Jack was right, again.

That night, they had no troubles, no notions of this adventure or that, they were just men…and Lizzie…enjoying themselves on the open seas.

After the excitement died down, Elizabeth found herself at the bow railing, staring out into the distance. She stayed there for quite awhile just watching the waves. Jack sauntered toward her a little more wobbly than usual, but she kept her focus on the ocean ahead.

"Pence for your thoughts?" He asked leaning on the rail next to her.

"Just a pence?"

"I am but a humble pirate" he said with an exaggerated bow.

"Still, I think my thoughts are worth a schilling, at least." She mused.

"I'll have to owe you. Now, out with it." He demanded.

A few moments passed before she said anything.

"What if we can't find this city? Or, if we get there, what if we can't fix the pearl? Will the journey have been worth it? If not, what then?" She said almost in one breath.

"Simple, love. We sail up the coast of California, raid the missions for gold and other bits of shiny, head west toward Singapore and have ourselves a well deserved rest, and from there, we can explore India and bring back silk and spices to Shipwreck Cove." He said as if he had already thought it through.

"If there is still a Shipwreck Cove once we return." she said, resting her chin on her folded arms.

"The Cove has been without a king before. Surely, Teague won't be the one to let it go to pot. I saw the list you left for him." he joked.

"They've gotten used to things being a certain way. Who knows how a society of pirates will react if they are denied that?" she pondered.

"Don't borrow trouble, Lizzie. It always ends up finding you in the end, so best to save your energy for when it does." Jack said, turning out toward the water.

"I suppose you're right. How is it that you always know exactly how to keep me from jumping over the edge?" she turned her head to look at him. He gave her a lopsided grin and turned toward her.

"Well, I hate to repeat myself all of the time, but I've always said that you and I are very much alike. I worry, same as you. I just do a better job of hiding it."

"Beneath gallons of rum." She mocked him.

"Do you really think I'm as drunk as you think I am?" he purposefully slurred, pretending to stumble into her

"I know you're as drunk as I think you are." she said, pushing him off of her.

"One develops a tolerance over time." he dropped the drunken act. "I'm only ever as drunk as I want everyone else to believe I am. That's one of my secrets."

"I'm sure." she turned back toward the water.

"One day, my dear, you will learn to relax." He said as he leaned his back up against the railing, staring up at the sky.

"You know, there is something to be said for being prepared."

"That's what I have you for." He exclaimed happily.

"Wonderful. I get to worry and you get to…keep being you." She laughed. "I should turn in. I have the early shift."

"Might I escort the lady to her quarters?" he offered her his arm.

"You may." She said, lacing her arm through his.

Arm in arm, they walked to the captain's cabin.

"Do you remember what it's like to not be a pirate?" She asked sincerely once they reached the cabin door.

"Of course, though it seems like a lifetime ago."

"I find myself hoping that one day I'll forget." She said walking into the cabin. "Forget all of the terrible things that came before these moments." she removed her hat and vest, placing them on the desk.

"But those are the things that make us. They can't be forgotten, or you forget yourself." Jack said, shutting the door behind him.

"In another life I think you might have been a poet." she said leaning against the table.

"Who says I wasn't?" he smirked, removing his own coat and hat.

Elizabeth laughed to herself as he walked toward his bed. "I wish I had everything figured out the way you do. It's all one big mystery to me, and yet you strut around as if you've had the secret all along."

"The only secret to life is knowing what matters and what doesn't. After you figure that out, the rest falls into place." he said, sitting down and removing his boots.

"And what matters to you, Jack?" She asked inquisitively.

"I think that is a discussion for another evening." he said, hoping she wouldn't press him further. He leaned back against his pillows, hands perched behind his head.

She flashed him a mischievous smile."Goodnight, Jack." She said pushing herself from the table. "Get some rest, you look like you need it." she teased and walked to her cabin, shutting the door behind her.

Jack ran a hand over his face and grabbed for the rum on his side table. Clutching the bottle to his chest, he fell into a restless slumber.


	7. A Rogue Wave

**A Rogue Wave**

A few weeks later, Elizabeth woke just before dawn to take her shift at the helm. When she walked out on deck, there was a dense fog enveloping the ship. The air had a terrible bite, and the wind cut straight to the bone. Thankfully, Jack had enough sense to buy them furs to, partially at least, stave off the cold weather.

The wind whipped harder, and Elizabeth pulled her coat tighter as she walked up to the quarter deck. Laying the map out, she asked Gibbs where they were. Gibbs had pointed to the bit of water between Argentina and the Falklands. They were nearing the horn and treacherous waters awaited them. Winter had arrived. There would be no shortage of icebergs and glaciers where they were headed, and they couldn't see any farther than their noses. _This might be problematic. _She thought.

"Should we wake the Captain?" Gibbs asked.

"Let him sleep. We'll need him at his best should things get worse."

Elizabeth relieved Gibbs and took the helm. Already, the seas had turned to chop. It was likely they were heading straight into a storm, but it was difficult to be certain. She kept the ship as steady as possible. The crew worked feverishly to keep the sails trimmed and the lanterns lit, adjusting for the ever changing elements.

By midday, the fog still hadn't cleared and it became drastically colder by the second. The waters were starting to churn. _Not good. _She thought.

The sky darkened, the wind blew harder, and ice started falling onto the deck. The ship jolted violently from one side to the other.

"Should we wake the Captain now?" Gibbs asked, concerned.

Just as Gibbs finished his sentence, Jack had burst from the captain's cabin, barely able to keep his footing.

"What in the name of Calypso, is going on out here?!" He yelled as he tried to make his way up to the helm.

"We're nearing the horn!" she yelled back, straining to see ahead and wiping the moisture from her eyes. "And there's a storm." She added.

"Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"I have everything under control." She said holding the wheel firmly.

"Of that, I have no doubt, but my expertise in this type of weather could be of some use right about now, don't you think?"

"The fog's clearing up ahead!" Jonathan yelled from the crow's nest.

"See, I don't need you." She boasted.

"Doesn't mean a thing, love. Step aside, I'll take it from here." He said trying to take the wheel from her.

"NO." She pulled away.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"I believe there's only one interpretation of the word 'no'"

"Not in Tortuga" he muttered. "Elizabeth, don't be stubborn."

Gibbs rushed up to the quarterdeck, gasping Jack's name as he searched for his breath.

"Cap'n" he heaved.

"Come on give it here" Jack argued with Elizabeth, trying to grasp the wheel, completely unaware of his first mate's presence.

"Cap'n. Elizabeth." Gibbs heaved again, trying to get their attention and failing miserably.

"Lend your expertise elsewhere." She said elbowing him away from her.

They argued continuously. "Elizabeth. Jack. HEY!" he finally yelled.

"What?!" They both yelled back.

"Iceberg! Hard to port!" Came singing from the crow's nest.

"That." Gibbs said, frustrated.

"Move." Jack shoved Elizabeth out of the way and spun the wheel as hard as he could.

The ship listed dramatically, the stern just barely scraping the behemoth piece of ice. Frozen shards rained on the quarter deck. As the fog dissipated completely, they were able to fully see the danger they were facing. A tempestuous sea of ice. Each piece as big as the last.

Jack screamed for the crew to swing the boom around. "We need to slow her down."

"Jack, we need to move toward land." She shouted in his ear.

"How would you like me to accomplish that? She's not a skiff. We can't just turn wherever we like."

"If we slow down, we'll be thrown into the ice." She pleaded with him.

"Trust me. I know what I"m doing."

"Look, up ahead. If we move now, we can make it through that narrow pass. She can handle it."

"You're crazy!"

"Why don't you believe that I might have some knowledge myself? We sailed through such elements trying to bring you back, if you recall?"

"I recall Madagascar. We're doing this my way." He said with unfamiliar authority.

The sleet turned to rain, showering the deck in torrents. The wind whipped furiously as the crew tried desperately to maintain their footing. The sea tossed the ship from side to side, escaping catastrophe by just a hair. All of a sudden a loud crack was heard over head. One of the short arms was starting to splinter. They were about to lose a sail.

"We need to tie that down before we lose it." Jack yelled aloud.

As Elizabeth made a move to fix the aforementioned problem, but Jack quickly grabbed a hold of her arm before she could reach the steps.

"Hold her steady, no matter what." he said, handing the wheel to Elizabeth.

"Jack, you can't go up there!" She turned her head toward him, watching him remove his coat.

"It's a better option than you going up there." He said pointedly.

"At least wait until we get to calmer seas."

"There may not be calmer seas ahead. I'll be fine. Just hold her steady." He turned and headed toward the main mast. Elizabeth gripped the helm firmly, eyes trained ahead.

Jack nimbly climbed up the rigging to the boom, and from there, to the jib. The sails flapped furiously around him as he made his way to the damaged sail.

"Overhead" Yelled a voice from the deck as a monstrous wave towered high above the ship.

"Hold her steady" Jack yelled down to Elizabeth. Almost as if he could sense what she was about to do. But this time, she did know better. They would be done for if she stayed the course they were on.

She turned the wheel starboard, toward the wave, and toward the opening she had seen earlier. "Brace yourselves!" She shouted. The wave crashed onto the ship, sending men sliding all over the deck. A couple of crew members were swept overboard as the ship continued to rock. The ship avoided collision once more as she made a quick turn to avoid another hunk of ice. Finally free from the ice jungle, she let out a sigh of relief, but the storm continued to rage on, and the ship pitched violently through the water.

Elizabeth quickly checked the rigging to get a visual on Jack. He still clung tightly to the lines, trying to tie down that sail.

_Damned woman is trying to kill me. _He thought, desperately clinging for his life and hoping to finish his task before conditions got any worse.

Elizabeth could see a break in the storm just ahead, she just needed to hold steady until they reached it. Rubbing away the water from her face, Elizabeth opened her eyes to another gigantic wave staring her in the face. _Hold on, Jack._

Once more, the ship drove bow first into the wave, and water crashed hard upon the ship, scattering supplies across the deck. The crew scrambled to regain their footing.

Maintaining her grip, Elizabeth focused on the task at hand. Her eyes never strayed from what lay in front of them. It was difficult for her to not shift her gaze toward the rigging to see if Jack was all right, but she would doom them all if she didn't get them through this storm. Without warning, the ship crested upon another wave. As if by magic, the water had disappeared from beneath them and all Elizabeth could see were dark stormy skies ahead. The crew screamed in panic as the bow began to top downward. It was quite a distance for a ship to drop without suffering considerable damage, but somehow the Devil collapsed onto the sea with a great thud and not much else. Everyone cheered at the realization they'd survived and that the ship was thankfully still afloat. A surge of adrenaline shot through Elizabeth and she began to laugh wildly while she continued to steer the ship.

Several hours passed before the waters finally calmed. She handed the wheel to Gibbs, as he came up to the quarter deck. "Where's Jack? Is he alright?" she asked urgently.

Gibbs shrugged. "I haven't seen him since he was climbing back across the boom."

Elizabeth's heart lurched, panic creeping into her veins. She scanned the rigging, hoping he'd made it down after that last wave. He wasn't there, a mixture of relief and fear coming over her. Frantically, she searched the deck. Men were picking themselves up and gathering as many of the barrels and crates as they could before they slid overboard. "Jack." Elizabeth called out, but there was no response. She quickly ran to the stern and checked the waters behind them. "Jack!" She screamed. Nothing. She ran from port to starboard to bow, peering over the sides. No sign of him. "JACK!" She started to hyperventilate, dropping to her knees. "JACK!" She cried near hysterics.

"Down here!" She heard a voice call out from below deck. Elizabeth bolted to the steps leading to the hold, and there, in a crumpled heap, lay Jack.

"Jack." She said with desperation as she rushed to his side. There was water in the hold, shin deep and freezing. Gods only knew how long he had been laying in it, but his skin had turned a pale shade of blue. They would need to get him warmed up immediately. Elizabeth leaned over him. "He's still breathing!" She exclaimed. "Help me move him to the galley." She ordered Toby and Thomas. "Jonathan!" She bellowed.

"Right here, miss." He peaked from behind the other crew members.

"I need you to get some wool blankets from my cabin. There's a trunk under the window."

"Yes ma'am."

He scurried off. "Bennett, can you get a fire started in the hearth?"

"Already burning, Captain."

"Thank you" She said, following the two men carrying Jack.

Jonathan returned quickly with the blankets. Elizabeth had him lay one out in front of the hearth before they lay Jack down. "Leave us." She grunted after they set him down.

Once they were alone, she stripped off Jack's clothes and wrapped him in the other wool blanket. Had circumstances been different, she might have laughed at the situation, imagining all the lewd things Jack would be saying to her while she removed his clothing. But as it stood, she was more concerned that he lived. The fire roaring, she moved him closer to the hearth. She sat with Jack's head in her lap, and rubbed his chest to ensure his heart didn't stop.

"Stay with me, Jack" She whispered. "Don't leave me. Please, I need you." She leaned down and placed a feather light kiss on his forehead.

After a while, his breathing steadied, and his color returned. Gibbs had come around to check on them.

"How is he?" he asked with a bit of trepidation.

"I think he'll be all right. We should probably move him to my cabin now that he's warmed up a bit." She said, never taking her eyes off of Jack.

"I'll send down some hands" Gibbs turned and headed up to the deck.

They moved Jack into the Captain's cabin, and Elizabeth had them put Jack in her bed. After receiving a few sniggers, she dismissed everyone except Gibbs.

"Orders, Elizabeth?"

"Maintain our course. We will stop in the next available port, assess any further damage, and restock supplies. We may need to wait out the next few months wherever it is that we stop. I fear the conditions are just too dangerous to continue."

Gibbs nodded and headed for the door. He paused and turned around.

"Don't worry. Jack's a survivor."

Elizabeth nodded weakly, and Gibbs left the cabin.

She unwrapped the wool blankets from around Jack and replaced them with her own bed linens. He remained unconscious, but his color continued to improve. Elizabeth gathered all of the candles she could find, and surrounded the bed with them, trying to create as much warmth as possible. Once satisfied, she pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, and picked up, what appeared to be, a journal or Captain's log that had been hidden among the books they brought aboard. She didn't read a full page before she quickly drifted off to sleep, the chaos of the day finally catching up with her.


	8. Parlay

**Parlay**

When Jack finally woke, he was groggy and unsure of his surroundings. He attempted to lift himself up on his elbows, but quickly fell back onto the bed, a sharp pain emanating from his ribs, and a dizziness hanging over his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, waiting for the wooziness to pass.

He slowly reopened his eyes and looked around the room. _This is Lizzie's room. _There were dozens of candles that had burned most of the way down. Various thoughts ran rampant through his brain._ What am I doing in here? Had I been drinking? Did we…? Certainly, I would have remembered __that__. How long have I been out?_ He suddenly remembered the storm and continued his search around the room.

To his right, Elizabeth fast asleep, legs propped up on the edge of the bed and a book laying on her chest, she seemed so peaceful. Jack had to smile. _A man could get used to waking up to such sights._

"Lizzie." He whispered, and she muttered back unintelligible gibberish. "Lizzie." He called her name again, and gave a light pat on her leg. She jolted awake, knocking the book to the floor and nearly falling off of her chair. Once she realized what was happening, she sprung toward the injured captain.

"Jack! You're awake!" She sat on the edge of the bed. "How do you feel?" she asked eagerly, placing her palm on his chest.

"As good as to be expected, I think." He answered, enjoying the sudden intimacy she was sharing with him.

"Good" Elizabeth said, and her demeanor changed suddenly as she grabbed a pillow from the bed and hit him with it…repeatedly. "Don't you ever do anything so stupid ever again!" She shouted at him between blows. "You scared me half to death. What made you think you could climb up there in such conditions? You could have been killed!"

Jack held his hands up in front of his head, trying to shield himself from her outburst. He groaned from the pain radiating at his side. "Argh. Elizabeth, enough!" He shouted, face contorted in a grimace.

Elizabeth put the pillow down and knelt next to the bed. "Are you alright?"

"I will be" he muttered trying to find a comfortable position. Elizabeth hit him one last time "Hey!"

"Stubborn fool. If you had just listened to me, you might be in better shape than you are now."

"I'd be in better shape if you hadn't bludgeoned me with a pillow." He tried lifting himself up again, but fell back to the bed with a sigh. "I need to use the pot, but it appears I am unable to lift myself up."

She gripped his hands and pulled him into a sitting position. He seethed from the pain.

"What is it?" She asked, concern written on her face.

"I think I may have bruised a few ribs." He said grasping his side.

"Let me see" She said lifting his arm and pulling the covers back slightly. A very large and angry bruise had appeared and ran from his underarm all the way down to his hip, wrapping around his front toward his breast bone. Elizabeth gasped.

"I bet you feel bad for hitting me now." Jack murmured.

"It's not so bad" She said unconvincingly.

"You're a terrible liar, darling." He smiled.

"Here, let me help you to your feet." Elizabeth reached for his arms.

"Well…um…maybe you should send Gibbs in here to help me." He said uncomfortably.

"Don't be silly, I can lift you." She chided.

"Yes, but you see I'm not exactly…clothed…at the moment."

Elizabeth chuckled. "You think I don't know that? How do you think it is that you came to be in such a state?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her response.

"Oh, relax. I was merely acting as your care giver. Don't turn my generosity into some sort of depraved act. Now, let's get you up, or if it would make you feel better, I can bring you your breeches."

"I think that would be best."

Elizabeth nodded and retrieved a dry pair of breeches for Jack. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were embarrassed" She said, handing them to him.

"These aren't exactly the circumstances I would have hoped for you to see my goods." He said, struggling to put his pants on. Elizabeth giggled. "Your laughter isn't helping." He added.

"I'm sorry" She said as she tried to suppress a chuckle.

"Alright, help me up." He said impatiently.

Elizabeth pulled him to his feet and he stumbled against her, dizzy again. She steadied him.

"Easy, Jack. Here have some water." She said, grabbing a glass from the side table. He gulped the entire thing down in one go. When he regained his sea legs, he made his way over to the chamber pot.

"You can have Gibbs empty this. I won't have you doing it."

"No arguments here." she said sitting in her chair beside the bed, not wanting to see him do his business.

"So what happened?" He asked, coming to sit on the edge of the bed, wincing as he sat.

"After the second wave, I did my best to steer us away from the ice and through the storm. Once it was over, we found you below deck submerged in the icy water. I assume you were thrown by the wave from the rigging to the deck, and thrown again further down into the hold. We moved you to the galley first to rid you of that terrible blue color, and then here when you were looking a little less corpse like."

"Thank you. Apparently I'd be lost without you." he smiled and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"That's quite the sentiment" She squeezed back. "But now it would appear that I'm ahead."

"It won't last long." He smirked, afraid to laugh.

"How dare you assume that I'll need saving?" She feigned offense.

"Please, Elizabeth. You say trouble follows me like a shadow, but it runs through your veins."

"It does not." she pouted. Jack let out a laugh and grabbed at his side as the pain shot through him.

"You should lie down." She suggested. "You need to rest."

"I need some rum."

Elizabeth went to her armoire and pulled out a bottle of rum she'd been saving for a special occasion.

"This is better than most of the swill on board, so don't waste it." She demanded as she handed him the bottle. "I'm glad you're not dead" She said, cupping the side of his face and placing a kiss on his cheek. She walked toward the door, but turned around quickly. "I'll send Gibbs to check on you in a little while." She smiled and headed out the door. Jack took a deep sip from the bottle and, as gently as he could, fell back onto the soft pillows behind him. The smell of lavender encasing him as he drifted off to sleep.

It was another two days before they came upon any port whatsoever. They had to tread lightly through the narrow passage Elizabeth had led them. The Strait of Magellan, Gibbs had called it. They came upon it after the storm passed. It had saved them from having to sail through any more fields of ice, but it was said to be an equally treacherous path. About halfway through, they reached a town called Punta Arenas. It was a small Spanish settlement with very few inhabitants. The Spanish navy had abandoned it's post there and left the people to fend for themselves. They hadn't planned to stay more than a few days. Just enough time for the crew to repair damages from the storm.

Elizabeth, Jack, and Gibbs slowly headed into town to see if they could resupply any of the lost cargo. Jack did his best to walk at a normal pace, but was struggling greatly. Elizabeth had insisted Jack stay aboard and continue to heal, but, as usual, the stubborn mule had insisted walking about would be good for him. As they walked from the docks into the town proper, they found the streets deserted. It was silent as the grave and an eerie chill crept up behind them.

"Maybe we should have just stayed on the ship." Gibbs shuddered. "This place gives me a bad feeling."

"I don't normally give in to Gibbs's wild paranoia, but I'm inclined to agree." Jack added.

"Really? You _both_ are afraid?" She said walking toward an alley way leading farther north into the town. Turning around to face them she asked. "What's there to be afraid of?"

"Me." Came a deep and menacing voice from behind her. Eyes wide, she turned around and crept slowly back toward Jack and Gibbs. A burly man with fair skin and squinted eyes came toward them, a sword poised dangerously close to Elizabeth's neck. Three more men appeared from behind them, swords unsheathed, surrounding them from all sides.

"You were saying, love." Jack offered.

"Parlay?" Elizabeth squeaked out.


	9. The Guardians

**The Guardians**

The three of them were led bound, heads covered in linen sacks, through what Elizabeth guessed was an underground cavern of sorts. It was damp and cold, and the further they went toward wherever it was these people had been leading them, the less Elizabeth could smell the fresh sea air. The five men hardly spoke to each other, but when they did, it was in a language none of them understood.

They walked for nearly an hour before they finally reached their destination. Pushing them to the hard ground, one of the men removed the sacks from around their heads. They were in a large cave, lined with torches and what appeared to be gold plaques on the walls depicting various mythological scenes.

"Why have you come?" Grunted the scariest looking one of the bunch.

"We stopped to make repairs on our ship. We barely escaped the storm." Elizabeth spoke, rising to her knees, trying to keep the fear from her voice.

"No storm." He said gruffly.

"Just east of here there was a storm." She argued.

The man reached back and slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. Jack struggled against his bindings, wanting to tackle the man for striking her.

"No storm." He said again. "Why have you come?" He repeated.

"I don't understand." She said, confused. Elizabeth racked her brain for a suitable answer, but she couldn't fathom what these men could want from them.

At that moment, one of the other men, grabbed Jack by the arm and forcefully pulled him to his feet. Jack squirmed noticeably as the pain in his side intensified. The larger man held a knife to Jack's throat. Elizabeth flinched noticeably, unable to maintain her composure.

"Why have you come?" He grunted again.

"We are only passing through. The masts of our ship were damaged in the storm. They need repair before we can sail on." She said hurriedly.

"NO STORM!" He bellowed and pressed the knife harder against Jack's neck.

Elizabeth cried out, "Please! What do you want from us? We'll give you anything."

"Why have you come?" He said slowly and deliberately.

"Lizzie, just tell him." Jack managed to utter, a small voice escaping his throat. The man holding Jack, delivered a hard blow to his injured side. Jack let out a scream of total agony.

Tears began to flow endlessly down Elizabeth's face. What was she supposed to tell them?

They had only come to repair damages, and then they would be off to Peru. Realization dawning on her, Elizabeth lifted her head.

"We seek the city in the mountains." She said softly.

The man holding Jack threw him back to the ground in front of Elizabeth. _How did they know about that? _She thought curiously.

One of the smaller men moved toward Elizabeth with a knife. Elizabeth shut her eyes, fearing her end. Reaching behind her, he cut the rope from her wrists and dropped the knife in her hands. Elizabeth quickly moved to cut the rope from Jack's wrists and then from Gibbs'.

Turning her attention back toward Jack, she cupped his face in her hands as he lay on the ground, still writhing. "Jack, look at me." He couldn't focus. "Are you alright?" She asked pulling his face toward her. He nodded weakly. She looked up to see the men walking away from her. "Is that it?" She yelled at their backs. There was no answer, and the cave grew suddenly dark, as the torches extinguished one by one. "Hello!" She yelled again."Perfect." She muttered.

Hours had passed and no one returned. Gibbs had tried to find a way in or out of the cave, but there was no opening he could see, and no light to see it with. Elizabeth remained on the floor with Jack's head cradled in her lap. The pain in his side had been too great and he passed out shortly after the men left the cave.

"What do you think they want with us?" She asked Gibbs.

"Difficult to say, but our destination seemed to make an impression on them." He answered.

"I don't understand how they would know that we were headed there." She said in disbelief.

"They are the guardians." She heard Jack whisper through clenched teeth. Elizabeth looked down, Jack's eyes were still closed and he made no attempt to move.

"Guardians? Of what?" She said stroking the side of his face with her thumb.

"Of the chest." He answered feverishly.

"How do you know?" She asked him, wanting to know what more he knew. No answer came.

"Jack?"

He had succumbed to sleep once again. Elizabeth laid her hand on his chest to make sure he was still breathing, just in case.

"Do you have any idea what he is talking about?" She asked Gibbs.

"I wish I did."

A few more hours had passed, surely the crew would be looking for them by now. Elizabeth hoped they would not be caught and thrown down here with them. Jack continued to sleep, albeit laboredly. He tossed, turned, and shifted in a cold sweat, mumbling while they sat there. Elizabeth paid close attention should he actually mutter anything useful.

Eventually, his sleep became peaceful again, and Elizabeth lay back against the cold, hard wall of the cave, attempting to rest herself. Gibbs had already been snoring for the better part of an hour. Soon, Elizabeth was woken up abruptly as light came spilling into the cave once more. The large man returned with a goblet in his hand. The goblet was simply decorated, gold plated, and carved with strange symbols, not unlike the symbols she had seen on the gold plaques.

He approached them, and motioned for Elizabeth to lift Jack. "Jack, wake up." She nudged him lightly. He grumbled as his consciousness returned. Elizabeth propped him up to a sitting position.

The large man handed the goblet to Jack. "Drink."

Jack looked at the goblet skeptically. "For pain." The man said.

Jack took a sip, and the warm liquid permeated throughout his chest, giving him a fuzzy feeling. The pain wasn't gone forever, he knew, but for now, it had dulled dramatically.

"Thank you." Jack said, raising the glass toward the giant.

"Rise." He commanded of them. It took them a few moments to register what he was asking, so he spoke again. "Rise."

Elizabeth smacked Gibbs on the shoulder, "Come on. I think they're taking us somewhere."

Gibbs hurried to his feet. Together, he and Elizabeth helped to lift Jack from the floor. They followed the man through a passageway, and Elizabeth was certain it hadn't been there before. As they walked, Jack had to lean heavily on Elizabeth. Whatever they had given Jack made him even more unsteady than usual.

They passed several other outlets leading to more and more caves. It was like an underground maze. They finally came upon two very large wooden doors. The man rapped three times in short succession. Rap, rap, rap. He paused and rapped once more. Another pause, and he rapped again. The doors swung open slowly, and the large man ushered them through.

Elizabeth couldn't believe her eyes as they made their way in. The doors opened up into a large cave made entirely of ice. It was fashioned to be a kind of temple or palace. The walls gave off a rich, deep blue luminescence, and the contours were perfectly smooth. It looked like glowing glass. A large throne sat at the back of the cave, perched high upon steps carved into the ice. The floor, however, wasn't made of ice. It was granite, with gold mosaics every few feet.

The mosaics portrayed a vast history of man, each one depicting the rise and fall of all the great empires. There were bridges made of ice heading out of the cave to their left and another in the opposite direction. Beneath them was a devastating drop into what Elizabeth assumed was freezing waters.

The large man pushed them to the base of the throne. A large figure stood up from the top of the steps, and came toward them. As he made his way down the steps, his features became more defined. He was dark skinned and covered in strange markings. Jack's head perked up. "I know him." he said quietly.

"You do?" Elizabeth asked suspiciously. "You don't owe him money do you?"

"No. He's the one who told me to sail to Peru."

_That's how they knew. He was one of these guardians. But how did he get here from the cove so quickly? They passed no other ships along the way._ Elizabeth's thoughts were interrupted.

"Jack Sparrow." The man bellowed in his strange accent.

"Captain." Jack muttered under his breath. Elizabeth hit his arm with the back of her hand.

"You decided to make the journey to free your ship?"

"Aye." He answered.

"Even after what I told you?"

'What did he tell you?" Elizabeth asked, a hint of warning in her voice.

"That it would be a perilous journey requiring a great sacrifice lest a terrible evil would befall us, etc." Jack answered, sheepishly.

Gibbs covered his face with his hand.

"What? Jack! " Elizabeth gritted her teeth.

"Silence." The man yelled, and then…smiled. "I did not expect you'd make it this far," He laughed, "but here you stand." Suddenly his attention shifted toward Elizabeth. "Elizabeth Swann, I'm pleased to see you made the journey as well." He added with a meaningful stare.

"What's happening?" She asked Jack who merely shrugged at her question. "Who are you?" Elizabeth asked, turning toward the man.

"Perhaps," The man said, "we should start from the beginning. I am Alewar. I am a guardian." He said simply.

"Guardian of what?" Elizabeth asked.

Alewar led them to another room. Just like the cavern they were kept in before, the walls were adorned with golden plaques and torches.

"Since the beginning of man, there has existed ancient and powerful magic. A gift from the gods. The gods bestowed this magic into various objects, so that it may be wielded by those who were worthy. What the gods had not predicted, was that this magic would not discriminate between worthy and unworthy. It latched itself onto those it could control, trying to free itself from the stranglehold of the gods. The magic was corrupted and had taken on a life of its own.

Soon wars erupted, empires were demolished, and the very fabric of humanity threatened to crumble as men searched high and low to gain this power, each foolish enough to think they could harness it. And so, the gods decided there must be guardians, to keep the knowledge hidden, and to protect mankind from destroying itself. Mortal men and women, selected by the gods century after century, we have been protecting these secrets for thousands of years."

"What does any of this have to do with us?" Elizabeth asked.

"You, too, are guardians."

"That's absurd. The gods have not chose us to protect anything, I assure you."

"Is that so? Then why do you think you are standing here in this moment?"

"A storm forced us into the channel." Elizabeth answered, doubt beginning to boil up inside of her.

Alewar let out a hearty laugh. "A storm? And who, my dear girl, controls those storms?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Alewar continued.

"Fate has brought you here, Elizabeth Swann, to fulfill your destiny."

"I'm afraid I don't believe in destiny." She said flatly.

"You cannot run from this. The gods chose you long ago. Do you think it mere coincidence that it is you who protects the heart of the captain of the Flying Dutchman?"

"He was my husband." Elizabeth said softly, a bit of sadness still lingering in her heart.

"Given to you by the sea, was he not?" His words had taken Elizabeth by surprise. How could this man possibly know that? "You _are_ a guardian, just as Jack was." Alewar finished.

"_Was_? As in past tense? So my employ is no longer needed?" Jack interrupted.

"No. You protect something else now." Alewar spoke.

"May I ask what?"

"No."

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but shut it quickly as Elizabeth shook her head at him.

Gibbs stood behind Jack and Elizabeth in disbelief. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Am I a guardian as well?" Gibbs asked from behind his Captain.

"No." Alewar answered flatly, and Gibbs heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

"So what is it that you need of us?" Elizabeth interjected.

"The place you are looking for is called Macchu Picchu. It was built by an ancient Incan civilization who were also protectors of the gods, and of their magic. But, when the Spaniards came, the Incan were wiped out, and the magic was lost to a terrible foe."

"Blackbeard." Jack chimed in.

"He was supposed to protect them and the chest, but instead he opened it, absorbed it's magic, and fled. But, now he is dead, and the magic has returned to the chest which is hidden somewhere in the city."

"So, you need us to retrieve the chest?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes." Alewar gave a look to one of the men standing guard.

"Well, that's a relief. We are already on our way to do that." Jack added.

"It's not that simple. There are others who seek the chest as well. You must retrieve the chest before they do." Jack gave a small flinch at Alewar's words.

"Who is after the chest?" Elizabeth asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"We don't know. We can just sense it."

"How reliable is this sense of yours? You weren't able to sniff out Blackbeard." Jack stated flippantly.

"Blackbeard was able to double cross the Incan because there was another chosen to be a guardian, but he refused the job."

"Refused?" Elizabeth asked.

"You always have a choice." Alewar answered simply.

"Seems a bit contradictory to the whole destiny idea though, doesn't it?" Jack muttered.

"Jack." Elizabeth hushed him "What are we to do, once we've found the chest?" Elizabeth asked

"Assuming you are the first to arrive, free your ship, and return the chest to us here"

"Simple." Jack lambasted.

"Why can't you retrieve the chest?" Elizabeth asked him.

"Because it is not my fate, it is yours."

"I see." Elizabeth paused. "How do we find this city?"

"That is not so simple. You will not find the city on any map." Alewar remained vague.

"Being guardians, is there some kind of tool that will help us locate the city and the chest as well?" Elizabeth pressed, still unconvinced of their task, and a little annoyed at the man's evasive nature.

"A valid question. You already have one tool." Alewar said, looking to Jack.

"The compass?" Elizabeth offered.

"You are a smart girl!" He beamed, "But you will need more than the compass, as it is my understanding its functionality has become less useful of late." He gave a meaningful look to Jack, who avoided eye contact from both Alewar and Elizabeth.

Alewar moved toward a chest covered by a lush tapestry, and pulled out a map. As he lay it out, Elizabeth noticed that the markings covering the map moved. Everywhere you looked, it changed shape. "This will help you find the chest. Be wary, if whoever is after the chest should succeed, you will be up against someone, more than likely, very powerful."

"Then how are we to defeat them?" Jack asked, starting to become a bit frustrated.

"You must visit the temple."

"Where?" Elizabeth asked.

"At Machu Picchu, of course."

"Of course" Elizabeth muttered.

"Out of curiosity, what happens if we don't find the chest?" Jack pried.

"Life as we know it will cease to be." Alewar said, matter of fact.

"Oh." was all Jack could utter at that moment.

Alewar led them back through the caves the way they had come in, and through an outlet that led to the beach.

"You'll find the harbor a few clicks west. Good luck." He told them. Jack , Elizabeth, and Gibbs looked down the coast and were able to see the ship in the distance. When they looked back, Alewar was gone. The three turned and headed toward the harbor

.

"Why is it these things keep happening to us?" Elizabeth asked.

"You heard him, 'it was fated to be so'" Jack offered.

"I should have stayed in Shipwreck Cove." She said as they continued to walk up the beach.


	10. Surprise Attack

**Surprise Attack**

They were underway, once again. It would be another week or so before they reached the Pacific ocean.

When they had finally returned to the ship from their unexpected detour, the crew didn't question at all the reason for the lengthy delay. Elizabeth found this to be quite curious, so she had asked Jonathan what had happened while they were gone. They made repairs, had a bite to eat, and then set sail. Only a few hours had passed, he answered. _A few hours? _They had been gone for nearly a day and half. _How was it possible?_

"Thank you, Jonathan." Was all she said, and headed to her cabin. Jack and Gibbs were at the helm discussing the heading when Jack noticed Elizabeth's troubled look as she headed inside.

"If you'll excuse me, Mr. Gibbs. I better see what kind of bee has gotten into her bonnet this time." Gibbs chuckled and took the wheel.

Jack entered the cabin slowly, peeking in before entering. Elizabeth was pacing back and forth, frantically mumbling to herself. Jack cracked a smile, and for a quick moment watched her psychotic ranting before making his presence known. He knocked lightly on the door as he entered.

"Lizzie?"

Elizabeth practically jumped out of her skin.

"God, Jack. You scared me." She said clutching her chest.

"My apologies. I just thought I'd check on you. You seemed a little…peculiar…after we left the caves."

"I'm fine. Fine. Just fine." She rambled, walking to the window, then toward the side cabin door, and back to her desk. She was unable to decide on a proper destination and continued her path back and forth across the main cabin.

Jack laughed and moved to stop her, grabbing her by the shoulders and facing her to him.

"Then why are you behaving as if you've lost your mind?"

"How can you remain so calm?" Elizabeth exclaimed. "The fate of the world rests squarely on our shoulders because the gods by no specific reasoning chose us to be the protectors of some bloody chest? We were gone for nearly two days, and the crew didn't question our absence, not once. We don't have any more answers as to where it is we are actually going, only more questions and more questions. I'm a bit overwhelmed. I think I need to sit down" She said taking a breath and, feeling a bit dizzy, clutched the lapels of Jack's coat for balance.

"Jack, you're right, I've lost my mind. It's the only explanation that makes sense." She stared ahead blankly as Jack led her to the desk chair and knelt next to her.

"Listen, love. You know as well as I do, and have seen with your own two eyes, that this world is not as it appears to be. So, is it really that hard to believe?" He asked her. She looked down at him, but didn't answer. "And what makes you think that two intelligent, fearsome pirates such as ourselves are not capable of figuring out this great mystery? You and I make an unbeatable team. That's probably why the gods saw fit to make this our problem instead of theirs." At that Elizabeth laughed.

"That settles it," She stopped him, "You're as insane as I am."

Jack laughed as he got to his feet, holding his side as he rose.

"Jack. You're still in pain? Let me see it." She demanded of him.

"Don't worry your pretty head over me, I'll be alright."

"Nonsense." She said. "Take off your coat."

"Really , thats not necessary…"

"Off." She demanded.

"As you wish." He smiled, shrugging the coat from his shoulders. Elizabeth motioned for him to sit on the desk in front of her. She slowly lifted his shirt and indicated for him to remove it as well. She placed one hand on his thigh while the other delicately traced the bruise that had turned black since she had last seen it. Jack tensed noticeably under her touch. Elizabeth had to smile inwardly at that. Her heart began to race as she felt around his torso, muscles contracting beneath her fingertips. Though, concern drowned her features as she remembered how hard that man had punched Jack.

"Did they hurt you?" She said to him, still inspecting the contours of his abdomen.

"Not any worse than I've been before. But I should have asked for more of that miracle drink they gave me." He joked trying to shift his focus elsewhere, and deepening his breaths.

Elizabeth smiled, but her focus remained intently upon Jack's ribcage, and she noticed her breathing deepen in time with his. Upon realizing just how attentively she'd been staring, Elizabeth removed her hands quickly and stood, much to Jack's disappointment.

"I think I have some laudanum left over from our last visit to Singapore. It won't be much, but it should help." She said brightly as she headed into the side cabin, and returned with a small vile of liquid. "Here."

"Thank you." He said quietly, staring at the bottle.

Elizabeth began to tear through the books and maps littering the table, trying to make sense of her thoughts which were still trained on Jack's bare skin.

Jack watched her, amused by how flustered she seemed "Lizzie?"

She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed red, "Yes?"

For a moment, Jack thought to give reassurances that they'd make it though this just like always, but he didn't quite believe it himself.

"Do you want some help?" He offered instead.

"No, you should rest. You can have my bed, until your healed anyway. It's a bit more comfortable than the bed in here" She said nodding her head toward where he'd been sleeping.

"I don't think I can rest at the moment. My mind won't let me. Besides, two sets of eyes are better than one." He added cheerily.

Elizabeth smiled back at him, and tossed him a book a little harder than she intended.

"Easy, love." He winced.

"Sorry." She giggled.

Hours passed. Jack sat across the table from Elizabeth, flipping the lid of his compass open and closed. Alewar was right, his compass had been less than useful as of late, but at least it had stopped spinning in circles.

Elizabeth was poring over the map they'd been given, no wiser to its mysteries. She slammed her hands down on the table. "Gah, this is hopeless!"

Jack continued to stare blankly at his compass, flipping the lid continuously.

"I can't make any sense of this damned thing. It keeps changing." She yelled as she put her head on the table.

The markings, indeed, kept shifting. Various phrases in various languages swirled around every few moments, never offering her anything useful. If anything, it just made her feel crazier than she already felt.

Jack continued to flip his compass lid open and shut.

"Jack, would you quit that?"

"Sorry…Maybe the map functions similar to the compass? It only works if you know what it is that you truly want." He suggested, pocketing the compass.

She _was_ feeling rather confused and conflicted at the present moment. Thoughts of Jack's bare chest still flitted in and out of her consciousness. Basic animal attraction, she kept telling herself, nothing more. He was a handsome man, her behavior was a perfectly normal reaction. But when it came to the other chest, well, she wasn't sure she wanted the job. "I suppose I _am_ sending the map mixed signals. What about your compass?"

"What about my compass?" Jack asked defensively.

"Is it working?"

"Of course!" He exclaimed.

"Well, why would Alewar say it wasn't functioning?" She asked innocently.

"Beats me. It's pointing in the right direction. Won't know if it can really help us until we get to Peru." he lied.

"Well, then I guess we are stuck waiting." She threw up her hands in defeat.

"I guess we are." They both shared a laugh that quickly turned into an awkward silence.

Jack couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. _Stop it, man. No good can come from thoughts like that. But she is a free woman now. No, no, no, no, no. It's just a passing fancy. Who are you kidding, Jack? You've always fancied her. _

Elizabeth couldn't stop her mind from wandering into similar thoughts. _What would he do if I kissed him? No. I shouldn't. But would it be so wrong of me? I'm tied to no one. Don't kid yourself, Lizzy, how many nights have you fallen asleep with thoughts of his lips on yours? _She realized, then, just how desperate she was for intimate contact.

She was so deep in her musings, she hadn't noticed that Jack had moved to the chair next to her. She gave him a lopsided grin in response to his own.

"Or," he said, putting a hand over hers, "You can reach deep down and figure out what it is that you really want most in this world" he whispered, voice gravelly and dangerously hot against her ear. His suddenly close proximity sent hot flashes coursing through her body.

"What if I don't know what I want?" she asked softly, turning her head, their faces inches apart.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked deeply into his eyes.

"I could show you." He whispered inching his face closer to hers.

Just before their lips touched a loud boom, shook them out of the moment.

"What on earth?!" She exclaimed getting up quickly and running toward the door.

"Your guess is as good as mine." he added following her out on deck.

Jack paled as a Spanish navy galleon, twice the size of the red devil, was passing on their starboard side, readying to fire upon their ship. The crew was scrambling to get their defenses up. No one saw the ship coming, for her sails were black as the night.

"Load the guns!" Elizabeth screamed and the men hurried to their positions.

"Fire!" Yelled Jack.

Cannonballs went sailing in all directions. One came sailing over and hit the railing near the helm nearly missing the two of them.

Soldiers began swinging over onto the deck, one by one. Elizabeth and Jack both grabbed muskets and tried to shoot them down, but they were coming over in too large of numbers.

"Jack, you should get inside." She said pulling him by the arm as he began to descend the quarterdeck steps.

"You're crazy!" he said wrenching his arm from her grip.

"You're hurt, you can't fight."

"I can and I will. I'm not leaving you out here."

"Please, Jack?" She pleaded with him

"Absolutely not." He unsheathed his sword, pain flashing across his features, and charged into the fray on deck.

"Bloody stubborn pirate" Elizabeth muttered following him, unsheathing her sword as well.

A large man came towering upon her, striking swiftly. Blow after blow, she blocked his advances. He pushed her further and further back. Backing into another soldier, she quickly turned around and stabbed him, taking his sword and returning her attention to the giant still trying to take her down. Sword in each hand, she began to press him further and further back. He was unable to defend against her two sword attack and eventually faltered, leaving Elizabeth an opening to cut his throat.

She looked around for Jack. He was fighting, what looked like, the captain of the other ship. Seemingly, he was holding his own against the man. Jack had the advantage, the captain didn't appear to be a very good fighter. She let her focus stray too long, and was hit with the hilt of a sword which sent her tumbling down to the deck. Eyes blurry, she tried to get up, but was knocked down again. She kept reaching around for her sword, any sword, but anything in her reach was kicked away. She was suddenly pulled to her feet by her hair. A brooding man, foaming at the mouth, leered at her while he held her in front of him. She tried to wrench herself free, attempting to kick and punch the bastard, but he had a firm grip on her. "Ah, ah, ah, young miss. You're not getting away that easy." He growled at her, pushing her up against the railing. She looked down, contemplating falling over the side and taking him with her, but with no weapon, she wouldn't be able to defend herself in the water. He pressed himself up against her, lowering his mouth to hers when she swung her head forward hitting him hard against the forehead and knocking him to the ground.

"I'm not that desperate." She said over him, grabbing the knife from his belt and shoving it into his chest.

She moved across the deck to assist Jack against the Naval Captain. He was alarmingly quick. Clearly, he was just waiting Jack out to find his weakness.

More cannon fire ripped through the air. A deadly blow struck the Spanish Galleon and she started to sink.

The Spanish Captain started moving against Jack with renewed vigor, and Jack was having a hard time fending him off. Elizabeth was hurrying toward them when a cannonball hit the starboard side square on, sending wood splintering in all directions and knocking them off of their feet. Jack flew backwards into the capstan, Lizzie was thrown toward the bottom steps of the quarter deck, Jonathan fell from the crow's nest upon impact, but caught himself in the rigging, and The Spanish Captain, thankfully was blown to pieces, having been closest to the blast.

The battle was won. Any soldiers left on the red devil quickly abandoned ship and tried to swim for their longboats before the sea claimed them. Jack picked himself up from the deck, woozy from the impact. He tried to make sense of what he was seeing and urgently looked for Elizabeth. He found her unconscious, lying next to the door of the captain's cabin, a large piece of wood protruding from her leg. Bending down, he lifted her into his arms and carried her inside. He'd ordered Gibbs to fetch water and to get them out of the straight as quickly as possible.

Laying her down on the bed, he ripped her pant leg with his knife to better gauge the injury. It looked like the piece of wood had pierced about an inch or so deep. He would need to stitch it up, maybe even cauterize it. He hoped she would stay unconscious while he fixed her up, but any hope of that was shattered when he pulled the wood from her leg. She sat up with a jolt and a terrible scream, clutching her leg.

"Lizzie, it's alright. Lay back." He pushed her shoulder back toward the pillows while he held a cloth hard to the wound. He reached for the bottle of rum he was going to use to disinfect the puncture, and handed it to her.

"Take a long sip and give it back." He ordered.

She took several long sips before her breathing slowed and handed the bottle back to him, trying not to look at what he was doing. Her teeth clenched as he poured the rum over the wound.

Taking a closer look he realized it was too wide and too deep a wound to stitch up, and he would need to cauterize it. "Lizzie, I need you to hold this tight against your leg." He said as he put her hands where his had been moments before. He stood, grabbed a candle, and returned to his spot next to the bed. He lit the candle and set it on the side table. He then grabbed his knife and poured some rum over it. Grabbing the candle once again, he held his knife over the flame for a lengthy amount of time.

Elizabeth peered over to see what was taking so long and opened her eyes wide as she registered what he was about to do.

"Do you want something to bite down on?" He asked her, still holding the knife over the flame.

She shook her head.

"Alright then. Shut your eyes. I don't want you flinching."

Elizabeth shut her eyes, and he pressed the blade firmly to the open wound.

To say that Elizabeth had screamed would have been an understatement. The sound that emitted from that girl could have woken the dead. Tears streamed down her face. She desperately clung to her leg, hoping the pain would ebb, but relief never came. Gibbs came clambering in with the water, the smell of burning flesh adding a particularly unpleasant sent to the cabin. Jack grabbed the bucket from Gibbs and immediately pressed a cool, wet cloth to her leg.

"Do ye need anything else, Captain?" Gibbs asked, concern drowning his features.

"That will be all, Mister Gibbs." he said to him, and Gibbs quickly left the cabin.

Jack dipped the cloth in the water again and pressed it to her leg, and again had Elizabeth hold it in place.

He went to the cabinet to see if she had anything to help ease the burn. He grabbed a small container of honey and a clean shirt and made his way back over to the bed. Elizabeth was still whimpering, pain etched onto her features.

"I bet you'd like to have that laudanum back?" He joked with her, trying to keep her distracted.

She laughed a pained laugh.

"Have more of this" He said handing her the bottle of rum. While she drank, he took the cloth from her hand and placed it back in the bucket of water. He ripped a few strips of the linen shirt with his knife and set them on the edge of the bed.

"I'm going to hold on to this." She managed to spit out, clutching the bottle tightly.

Jack looked at her sympathetically. "I'm nearly done." he assured her.

He opened the container of honey and dipped his fingers into it. Pulling out a generous glob, he gently rubbed the sticky substance over the burned wound. She flinched slightly at the contact, but the more honey he rubbed on, the more she began to relax. It greatly relieved the sting of the burn. Jack's hand caressing her thigh didn't hurt either.

Jack grabbed one of the strips of fabric and folded it into a neat square which he placed directly on the burn. He then tied another piece of fabric around her leg and the small square piece. Her breath hitched as his hand grazed her inner thigh.

"Sorry" he muttered, thinking he was hurting her.

"It's alright," She said breathless as he tied the bandage in place.

Bending down, he rinsed his hands of the honey in the bucket and dried them on his pant leg.

Elizabeth's eyes were closed when he sat back up, but he could see she was still fighting the pain. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Leaning over her, he brushed a piece of her hair from her forehead and rested his hand on the side of her face. Eyes still closed, Elizabeth grabbed his hand and leaned into his touch.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

She turned her head toward him, and her eyes fluttered open. She smiled at the sight of his face scrunched up in concern. He searched her face for an answer as she just kept staring at him, a dopey smile plastered to her face.

"Lizzie?"

She moved his hand from her face to her chest, wanting him to feel how fast her heart was beating. He gave her a questioning look. Reaching out, she cupped his face in her hands and pulled him to her, pressing her lips to his with wild abandon.


	11. The Aftermath

**A/N Update 10-24-15:** The rated M version of this chapter originally existed as its own separate entity, but I decided to put the full version in with this story and give a fair warning to everyone that there is some smut to follow. So if you have a delicate constitution, skip this chapter.

**The Aftermath**

The next morning, Gibbs was with Jack at the helm trying to plot out a course of action after the previous evening's attack.

"We need to be on high alert. One navy ship means many more to come, you know that. The only way to be on the defensive would be to hide out for a couple of days. Maybe find an inlet to anchor in." Gibbs cautioned him.

Jack had not been listening. He stared dumbly ahead as he stood at the helm, replaying the events of the previous night over and over in his head.

—-

She had surprised him. He'd only meant to comfort her, and she had looked at him so strangely, he was sure that she had actually lost it. Instead, she grabbed his face and kissed him so feverishly, that for a moment he was frozen to the spot. She pulled away from him, eyes glassy, the dopey smile turned into a sheepish one, but her eyes never left his. Jack just stared at her. She searched his face for any kind of reaction, afraid she had gone too far. Her eyes soon fluttered shut as Jack ran his hand along her exposed thigh. She trembled as she felt warm lips pressing against her neck and trailing soft kisses along the side of her face. When his lips found hers, any reservations she had were extinguished as he kissed her with a feverish passion. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to the bed. A guttural sound escaped his throat as he landed on his injured side.

"I'm sorry" She whispered, reaching for his shirt.

"Don't be." He exhaled, helping her to remove it. The pain, he found, was most definitely worth it.

She ran her hands over his chest, exploring every inch of him, marveling at the tattoos that covered his body. She had no idea he had so many. She pressed her lips to his many scars before her lips found his again, kissing him as if he would disappear completely if she stopped.

Jack snaked a hand beneath her shirt, brushing it lightly against her hip. She moaned at the contact, and Jack deepened the kiss. He pressed his other hand to the small of her back, pulling her toward him. He broke the kiss momentarily to catch his breath, and cupping the side of her face, he stared deeply into her eyes, giving her a lopsided grin. _Gods, she is beautiful_. He thought to himself.

Elizabeth raked her fingers lightly up and down his back, staring at his lips. _No turning back now, Lizzie, _She thought. Elizabeth leaned into him and brushed her lips lightly against his. He captured her lips hungrily in return.

Desperate to feel her skin against his own, Jack started pulling at the bottom her shirt.

"This needs to go." he grunted, breaking the kiss.

She laughed breathlessly and sat up. As she lifted her shirt over her head, Jack ran his hands up the sides of her slender figure. Gently guiding her back down to the bed, Jack leaned over her, placing feather light kisses along her hip bone, fingers just grazing the inside of her waistband. She shivered beneath his touch. He continued moving up toward her neck, stopping to tease the sensitive area of her breasts. It was almost too much for her to handle. She grabbed his face and brought his lips to hers, claiming them with urgency, wrapping her legs around his waist. He pushed himself against her. Feeling his length rigid beneather, caused her to moan again, and Jack was nearly undone. He pried himself from her grip and grabbed the back of her knees, pulling her further down toward the foot of the bed. With deft fingers, he removed her breeches, careful not to irritate her wound further.

Her breath caught again, as he started kissing his way up her leg toward her center. He had taken her by surprise when he actually kissed her there, gently flicking his tongue against her most sensitive area. She had never experienced pleasure in this way before. Her time with Will had been hurried and awkward. She didn't have much time to think about the past, though, as Jack was quickly sending her over the edge, lights flashing behind her eyes, and her voice gasping his name.

He pulled away just before she lost herself completely. Hovering over her, he gave a roguish smile when her eyes snapped opened, happy to have such an affect on her. She met his lips halfway as she sat up. With a feeling of desperation she reached her hands out to undo his breeches. Jack claimed her lips again while she slid the garment off of his hips, never breaking contact as he stepped out of them. Elizabeth broke the kiss and held her hands on his hips, pushing him to stand squarely in front of her. She gently rubbed her thumb along the muscles there, taking in the sight of him. Without giving it a second though she slowly lowered her mouth around him, taking him completely by surprise…again. Jack was positively euphoric as she ran her tongue along him. But he had to push her off of him as he was very close to his end.

"Not yet" he groaned, and pushed her back on the bed.

He wrapped her legs around him as he entered her. She moaned wildly at the sensation. He ravaged her mouth again as they began to rock rhythmically with each other. He could feel her moan in his mouth as he moved in and out. Jack pressed his thumb against her, eliciting new and wonderful sensations. She could feel fire rising inside her, electricity was shooting through her in all directions. Jack whispered her name against her ear, almost ready to burst, and like a white hot flash, they both erupted with intense pleasure.

Out of breath, Jack moved down to the bed and scooped her up in his arms, placing a kiss against her forehead. Her breathing ragged as she curled into him.

"Well, that was unexpected." She said, still out of breath and they laughed while they clung to each other.

—

"Jack, are you listening to me?" Gibbs interrupted his musings.

"Of course I am." Jack turned his head slightly to look at his first mate.

"Well than what course should we take?" he asked, a little flustered.

"We'll hide out for a few days. Find us a safe place to anchor."

Elizabeth emerged from their cabin, hair tied neatly into a braid, wrapped in a wool coat. She favored her injured leg slightly. She had been most surprised to find it didn't bother her all that much. In fact, they had both been surprised to find their injuries inhibited them very little.

She looked up at the helm and Jack tipped his hat toward her, practically beaming. Elizabeth smiled back and headed down to the galley for breakfast.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows at Jack in suspicion.

"Don't look at me like that, Gibbs. I haven't done anything wrong."

"Just don't be stupid." Gibbs scolded him like an older brother would and headed toward the galley himself.

Jack's thoughts wandered back to where they had previously been.

—-

Elizabeth sat up against the headboard, donning a blue silk robe and biting into an apple. She watched Jack pick through a plate of food he scavenged from the galley. Settling on a piece of hard tack, he made his way back over to the bed with a bottle of rum. Uncorking it, he handed it to Elizabeth.

"So, I think it fair to say that I'm the reason your compass hasn't been functioning properly?" She teased him and took a sip from the bottle before handing it back to him.

"I already told you it functions perfectly." he grinned at her, taking a sip of rum.

"I can most certainly see that." She grabbed the bottle back from him and took another sip, noticing, with great interest, his excitement rising.

"You shouldn't tease the man that knows how to make you melt with just one touch."

"Are you referring to yourself?"

He stared down his nose at her. "Am I to understand that you believe yourself impervious to my powers of seduction?"

"Is that what you were doing?" She continued, purposefully playing coy.

"Shall I demonstrate?"

"If you must." She said trying to appear nonplussed.

Jack set the rum bottle on the side table and made his way over to where she was sitting. He lightly pressed a kiss to her neck. Her eyes shut as he touched her.

"Are you melting yet?" He asked her.

Eyes closed, she shook her head.

"I must have done it wrong" he said. He ran his hand up her arm, bringing it to her neck, and sliding it inside the opening in her robe, delicately tracing circular patterns with his finger around her breasts. She shivered. "Still not melting?"

Elizabeth exhaled a sound very similar to the word "no"

"Very well." He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her intensely while sliding his hand further and further down, letting his fingers tease the delicate space between her legs. She gave in and returned the kiss with just as much fervor.

He pulled away and catching his breath asked her again, "How about now?"

"Shut up, Jack." She said grabbing his face and kissing him.

Jack slid the robe off of her shoulders, touching his lips to her newly exposed skin and returning his hand to its previous task. A small gasp escaped her as he slipped a finger inside her.

"Ah, now we are melting." He said pulling her down on top of him, kissing her madly.

She couldn't help but smile against his mouth. It was amazing to her how natural it felt being with him. Years of tension between them was finally culminated into an evening of bliss. The realization made her ache for him all the more.

Elizabeth lowered herself onto him and bucked against him wildly. Jack held his hands on her hips, guiding her up and down. He could feel himself, edging closer and closer, but he didn't want this to end just yet. He held her in place and flipped her over onto her back, pinning her arms above her head. Pumping slower, he trailed kisses down the inside of her arm, savoring the feel of her surrounding him. His mouth found her breasts, and he licked small circles, gently biting the tips. She gasped his name, digging her nails into his back. Unable to maintain conttrol, he moved faster and faster as she came closer to the end, her gasping getting louder and louder, nearly screaming his name.

"Shh, love. We don't want to wake the crew now, do we?"

He covered her mouth with his as they finished, Elizabeth moaning hard into his mouth. They lay tangled together for a few minutes. Jack's head rested on her chest, breathing heavily. Elizabeth could feel him throbbing inside her. Jack moaned again as she contracted around him.

She wrapped her arms around him, grazing her fingers along the back of his neck. He trailed kisses along her breast bone and down to her stomach before he removed himself from her embrace. He gathered her into his arms again as hey lay down next to her. She smiled at him, feeling truly happier than she'd felt in a long time. He kissed her again, and they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Elizabeth woke in the morning with Jack's arms wrapped tightly around her. She laughed to herself. _He must be afraid I'll disappear too_. She turned toward him and ran her fingers over his face, placing light kisses against his mouth.

"If you keep doing that, I'll have to ravage you again." he grumbled with his eyes closed.

"Is that a threat or promise?" She teased. He opened his eyes and smiled, looking down at her.

He looked for any trace of regret, but could find none. She buried her face into the crook of his neck.

"I think we might be in trouble." She mumbled, placing kisses along his neck.

"Oh? And why is that?" he asked curiously.

"I don't fancy leaving this bed anytime soon, and we have a ship to run."

"And a world to save, don't forget." he added still clinging to her tightly.

"What are we to do?" she lay her head across his chest.

"Let Gibbs handle things a few more hours."

"I like the sound of that." She closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply. It was silent for a short moment before she spoke again. "If this is going to be a regular occurance, I think it might be prudent for us to set down some rules."

"Rules? Such as?"

"Well, keeping this from the crew as a start."

"They already assume this is what we do in here." he said waiving his hand.

"They do?!" She said, embarrassed, looking up at him.

"Lizzie, don't be naive." he started planting kisses along the side of her face. "Besides that, you also aren't very quiet." He teased her. "If they didn't know before, they certainly know now."

"In any case, what we do behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors. So, there will be no 'ravaging' on deck, savvy?"

"You're no fun."

"And under no circumstances are we to let this get in the way of why we're on this trip to begin with."

"Of course, your highness!"

A loud knocking interrupted them.

"Jack! Are you in there?! We need to talk about the attack." Gibbs yelled from the other side of the door.

"You better go." She said pressing her lips to his.

"But I don't want to." He pouted.

"If you go now, you'll be rewarded greatly later." She kissed him again, sliding her hand around his manhood, and he growled against her mouth

"If you're trying to get me out of bed, this isn't the way to do it."

She straightened her mouth, staring sternly at him.

"Damn you, woman. alright I'll go."

He got up and started looking for where his clothes ended up. He had such a beautiful body. Muscles expertly toned from many, many years at sea. It seemed as if his bronzed skin was glowing. And the way he made her feel…Elizabeth got up from the bed and creeped up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Jack turned his head, eyebrow cocked.

"Maybe a few more minutes won't kill him." She said pressing her lips to his back.

With a mischievous smile he spun around and lifted her. Legs wrapping around his waist, he carried her over to the bed. Kissing every inch of her while she giggled, they were quickly lost to each other again.


	12. Best Kept Secrets

A/N: Here's a quick one. Updates won't be quite as frequent, unfortunately, because work is starting to get busier. I will do my best to update as often as I am able. Thank you to everyone out there reading this story.

**Best Kept Secrets**

A few days later, Elizabeth stood at the helm, preparing to anchor. They decided on an inlet a little ways north, up the coast of Chile. Chile was littered with fjords and small channels for them to hide in, so they sailed slowly in amongst the channels, where the waters were fairly calm and large ice cliffs surrounded them on all sides. Elizabeth had studied maps of the surrounding area endlessly and read as many things as she could about Chile's topography. Jack had teased her saying she was too curious for her own good. But she always responded, "Better to be prepared" Especially since it was known that Chile was lined with Volcanoes. Elizabeth had noticed one not far off in the distance.

Jack had come up from below deck and sauntered up the quarter deck steps. Standing behind Elizabeth, he snaked his ams around her, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"I thought we agreed, no ravaging on deck" She said unconvincingly as a small sigh escaped her.

"Aye, we did, but I believe the purpose of that rule was to keep our sordid love affair away from the crew's prying eyes. And, as you can see, they have been clandestinely dismissed from their duties for the next couple of days." He whispered into her ear. "But, mostly, you looked too beautiful standing up here, I couldn't resist."

"Be that as it may, prying eyes could arrive on deck at any moment." She responded, keeping

her eyes ahead.

"Not likely. I supplied them with copious amounts of rum" He added, pressing his lips to her neck.

"Jack" She craned her head slightly, allowing him more access. She moaned quietly and her eyes fluttered shut as he continued kissing her. She snapped her eyes open, realizing she was supposed to be steering the ship. They were heading straight for a formation of rocks in the waterway. Elizabeth quickly corrected, and put them back on course."

"Perhaps it would be best if I didn't distract you any further until we are safely anchored." He teased her. Moving to lean against the railing next to her.

She gave him a pointed look. "I do believe that not being a distraction was one of the rules as well."

"Lizzie, I'm a pirate. By definition, I don't abide by the rules."

"And what of the code?" She asked.

"What is it you always say? They are more like guidelines." He said with a triumphant smile.

She laughed heartily. Best not to inform him that it was Barbossa from whom she'd stolen that phrase.

As they were nearing the inlet, she asked of him sweetly, "Since you dispatched the crew, would you be so kind as to let down the anchor."

"It would be my pleasure." He said, bowing.

Giggling, Elizabeth shook her head. _I am most certainly in trouble,_ she thought, watching him.

The inlet they had found was at the mouth of a large cave. A towering gray cliff stood tall above them and another towering formation of rocks hid the entrance of the cove. The only way it could be found would be if someone was looking for it specifically.

Once the ship was secure, Elizabeth made her way down to the deck, meeting Jack at the bottom of the steps. Elizabeth rested her hands on Jack's chest as he put his arms around her.

"So, now what?" she asked him, a cheeky grin on her face.

"I have a few suggestions."

"Oh really?"

Just as Jack was leaning in to kiss her, Elizabeth placed her hand over Jack's mouth. "Not here."

"Lizzie, no one is coming up here."

"Do you trust me?" She asked him, obviously up to something.

"Of course I do, but I don't see what that has to do with…" She cut him off, holding a finger to his mouth.

"Follow me." She said leading him toward the long boats. Jack looked thoroughly perplexed as she started lowering one of them into the water.

"Lizzie, far be it from me to question you, but what are you doing?" He asked her.

"Let's go." Was all she said as she climbed down the side of the ship.

Jack leaned over the railing, "Where are we going? Who's watching the ship?"

"Gibbs has been left to watch over things. Are you coming?"

"Last time Gibbs was in charge of a ship, Barbossa came and stole it."

"I don't see Hector anywhere, do you?" She yelled up to him.

"No, thank the gods."

"Well then, what are you waiting for?"

Jack still seemed unsure.

"Jack." She called for him, luring him with a seductive tone.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming."

He climbed into the longboat and Elizabeth began rowing into the cave.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Jack asked her.

"No." She said simply.

"What did you tell Gibbs?"

"The truth."

"I thought we were keeping this a secret?" he asked accusingly.

"It would seem that Gibbs was already in the loop."

"I didn't tell him anything." Jack put his hands up defensively.

"It wasn't your words that gave us away. He'd suspected it for much longer than it has actually been going on."

"He _has_ been giving me strange looks lately. Fancy that."

As they got further into the cave, it began to grow dark, almost black as pitch. Jack couldn't see anything beyond Elizabeth. Elizabeth just kept rowing.

"Do you even know where we are going?" He asked skeptically.

"I thought you said you trusted me?"

"I trust you with many things, but I can't see a thing, and unless you've developed the type of vision that allows you to see in the dark, I'd be remiss to think that you could see something I couldn't. And if you can't, in fact, see anything, then you couldn't possibly know where it is we're rowing to."

As he finished his sentence, he started noticing glowing blue objects floating past them in the water. The further in they rowed, the number of objects grew exponentially until the glowing blue covered the walls, ceilings, and the water beneath them, illuminating the entirety of the cave.

Elizabeth and Jack both stared in awe at the beauty surrounding them, and Elizabeth momentarily stopped rowing as she observed their surroundings. "It's beautiful isn't it?" She asked him.

"How did you know about this place?" He asked as she continued to row.

"I found a journal amongst the books I brought. It was dated many, many years ago. I think it may have been a pirate or a merchant sailor, but I can't be sure. That's how I chose where to anchor the ship. It gave detailed instructions on how to find it, as well as a detailed description of the cave."

"Truly Amazing."

"But, wait. There's more." She said as they reached an embankment.

Elizabeth tied the longboat to a cone shaped rock coming up from the floor of the cave, and grabbed a bag from inside the boat.

"Follow me." She gestured as she walked deeper yet into the cave.

She led Jack down a pathway that fed into an ice cave not unlike the one they'd seen in Punta Arenas. Except that this one was minus the throne and ominous inhabitants. In the middle of the cave was a small pool of water, steam rose from the top of it and the smell of sulfur tinged the air.

"A hot spring?" Jack asked intrigued.

"Indeed." Elizabeth said, sounding very pleased with herself, testing the water with her foot.

"This is better than what I would have suggested." He said plainly as he watched Elizabeth strip herself of all her clothing. Jack quickly followed suit.

She very slowly immersed herself in the water, letting her body get used to the change in temperature. Jack was less graceful about it, and plopped right in, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"The only thing missing is a bottle of rum." He said leaning against the side of the spring.

"Right!" She said excitedly as she pulled two bottles of rum from her bag.

"You've thought of everything haven't you?"

"Like I've been saying, there is something to be said of always being prepared." She said moving closer to him.

"And that's why I love ye" He said before taking a sip from the bottle. _Did I really just say that?_

"Beg your pardon?" She said, stunned by his nonchalant confession. _Did he really just say that?_

"Nothing" he said, backtracking and taking another pull from the bottle

"You what?" She asked pulling his arm down.

"I didn't say anything" He tried in vain to pretend those words had not left his lips, but she'd heard him. It was out in the open now.

"You love me?" She asked with hope, surprise, trepidation, and eagerness all rolled into one expression.

"So what if I do?" He asked more flustered than he wished to be at the present.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He returned the kiss, happy that she didn't turn tail and run at the discovery…or worse…

Breaking the kiss, Elizabeth looked up at him doe eyed and whispered, "What if I love you too?"

It was a ridiculous thought, but it was true. She loved him, loved him for everything he was. Perhaps she always had.

Jack swooped down quickly and kissed her madly, lifting her into his arms. And for the next few hours the cave seemed to glow brighter and brighter.


	13. Foreboding

**Foreboding**

Jack and Elizabeth lay together on the floor of the cave, their fur coats beneath them creating a makeshift bed. Steam filled the cave and enveloped them like a warm blanket. Elizabeth traced Jack's scars absentmindedly while they stared silently at the cave around them.

"I think I could stay here forever." Jack said, breaking the silence.

"You'd miss the sea too much."

"The sea is just outside." he argued.

Elizabeth chuckled. "But the pearl is not." She added, trying to bring reality back.

Understanding reached his face and he sat up. "Well, then, I guess we better get going." He said sullenly.

Elizabeth sat up and rested her hand gently on his back. "We'll come back here when all of this is over. I promise."

Jack just smiled simply, distress clearly written on his face.

"Do you doubt my word?" she asked him with an eyebrow cocked.

"Of course not."

"Then why do you look so sad?" she said running her hands along his face.

"Soon, we'll be faced with danger, peril and all manner of lethal foes."

"Aren't we always?" She laughed.

"There's more at stake this time." He said grabbing her hands on the sides of his face.

"Oh, Jack." She said softly, and looked him deeply in the eyes like she was trying to see inside of him. "You can't be the one to worry. That's my job."

"I can't lose you." he said closing his eyes.

"You won't." She said firmly. "Now stop this, I prefer you overconfident and reckless to whatever it is you're being now."

He laughed and kissed her.

Reluctantly they dressed and as they were gathering their things to head for the long boat the ground began to shake. Small pieces of rock began falling around them.

"I think we should hurry" Jack yelled, and their brisk steps turned into a sprint as the ground shook harder. "Quick, get in." He said untying the long boat. He pushed the long boat away from the embankment with his foot and jumped in as the tunnel behind them started to collapse.

"That was a close one." He said out of breath, Elizabeth rowed furiously trying to get them out of the cave as fast as possible.

"It might be even closer If we don't get out of here." She urged him. Jack grabbed the other oar and helped her get them free of the cave. When they reached the outside, a large plume of smoke rose high above the cliff, sending them into an eerie darkness. The mouth of the cave soon collapsed behind them, sending the longboat careening toward the Red Devil at an alarming rate.

"Let go!" Jack screamed.

Elizabeth hadn't understood what he'd meant.

"Of the oar. Drop it!" He yelled again over the thunderous roars above them.

Elizabeth dropped the oar like it was on fire. With all of his strength Jack ripped it loose from its holding place. "Here. Hold it straight out in front of you. Cradle the end beneath your arm, like a joust." Jack said, handing it back to her and demonstrating with the other. She did as she was told, and they held the oars in front of them as the distance between the longboat and the ship closed. Upon impact, the oars splintered in their hands, but the action kept them from crashing hard into the side of the ship.

The long boat continued to bounce against the side of the ship in the choppy channel water.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked her, but she was staring passed him into the distance where she could see fire shooting up into the sky, lightning flashing in the dark clouds, and an ominous roar filling the air.

"It's unbelievable" She said awestruck as Jack turned around.

"I assume this means we won't be coming back here? Should we consider this a bad omen?" Jack asked jokingly.

"I think we need to get back on the ship." She said as he turned back toward her.

"Aye" He agreed and they both climbed up the ship's ladder.

"Praise the gods you two are alright!" Gibbs said rushing up to the two of them. "We saw the cave collapse into the water. We feared you were trapped…or worse…" He said, trailing off.

"We're fine" Jack said, "But we need to get out of here with all haste."

"Aye, Captain." Gibbs headed towards the helm while the crew raised the anchor and readied the sails.

The Red Devil sailed away from the channels out into the open water, and headed north. The entire crew rushed to the railing to watch as orange liquid began spilling over the cliffs into the water, making a terrible hiss. Dread fell over Elizabeth. She had a terrible feeling all of a sudden. Jack felt it too and whispered something in her ear before he made his way toward the helm, feeling the desperate need to be in control of something. Elizabeth pushed away from the railing and headed straight for the captain's cabin.

She pulled out the map and laid it out on the table in front of her, hoping for any more information to surface. Maybe the volcano erupting _was_ an omen, she thought to herself. She stared at the map and it was exactly the same as it had been before. A few words here and there, but nothing strung together to create a coherent thought, and none of the shapes indicated any geographical place.

"This is infuriating! It doesn't show us where the chest is. We are just as in the dark as we were before. Where is it?!" She screamed at the map. They had a rough estimation of where to head, but it would quickly turn into a wild goose chase if they didn't figure out the final stretch of their journey. She folded her arms in a huff. "One would think there would be more clear instructions when the fate of the world is at stake." She stared off blankly for a moment, pondering "I wonder if Will knows about any of this." She said, voicing her thoughts. Sudden realization dawned on her, and she ran out of the cabin and straight to Jack.

"What if the chest isn't in this world? And that's why the map doesn't work?" The words flew from her mouth as she reached the quarter deck.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked confused.

"I think that the map hasn't shown us anything because what we want is not in this world. Or" She reconsidered her previous statement, "Maybe there's an even more powerful magic hiding it from the map. A power not of this world…"

"Get to the point, love."

"I think we need to find Will." She said resolutely.


	14. Dead Men in Disguise

**Dead Men in Disguise**

Jack stared at her dumbfounded. He didn't know what to say. _Why would she possibly want to bring Will into this? On the one hand it could simply be that he could provide them with help, but on the other hand…maybe she's starting to regret her choices of late._

"Jack, are you listening?" She asked him, practically wedging her way between him and the helm.

"We need to find Will." He answered with no emotion. "How are we to do that?" he asked her, continuing to stare straight ahead.

"Well, however it is you found him when you gave him my letter."

Jack was silent for a moment, this was a topic he hoped never to speak of. An unfortunate series of circumstances led Will to find Jack. Not the other way around.

"I didn't find Will last time." He said finally.

"What do you mean?"

"_He_ found _me_, and unless we have spare dead bodies lying around, there is no other way to summon him here." he said, solemnly.

"I don't understand. Was he looking for you?"

"Not exactly."

"What does that mean?" she started to pry, anger rising.

"I may or may not have been at death's door when he found me. Will saved my life as repayment for saving his." he said, finally breaking eye contact with the sea to look at her.

"WHAT?!"

"Lizzie, don't raise your voice. It's done with. I'm alive."

"You didn't think to tell me about any of this?"

"What for? It doesn't change anything. Or does it?" He asked meaningfully.

Elizabeth looked at him amusedly, but when she saw the seriousness in his eyes, she opened her mouth, astonished.

"Really, Jack? Now is not the time to be jealous." She said hands on her hips.

"Is there something to be jealous of?" He asked, losing control and unable to filter his thoughts.

"You're unbelievable." She muttered. "No, of course there isn't. He just happens to be the only person we know with knowledge of other worlds, and quite possibly could convince Calypso to help us. And, of course, I wish to profess my eternal love for him." She added the last part with exaggerated sarcasm.

"Alright, alright. You've made your point." he said, returning his gaze to the sea.

"Have I?" She asked him, pointedly.

"Yes." He said exasperated.

"Good." They stood silently together for a moment. "I suppose we should find ourselves a body."

"Did you have someone in mind?" he asked her suspiciously.

"No. We may need to procure one from the next port."

"Procure?"

"Yes, procure. We don't need to actually kill anyone, do we? A fresh cadaver ought to do the trick."

"It's worth a shot. How far are we from the next port?" He asked her.

Looking at the map in front of them she answered "We have a few options, but none of them are easy to get to, nor have an easy escape. We'll have to head back into the channels."

"Which port has the easiest access point? We want to give ourselves a chance in case the Spanish Navy turns up again."

"Valdivia. It's a little farther north, but we can avoid the channels, if we go the extra distance." She said fingering the map.

"Do I need to adjust our heading much?"

"No. Stay the course. We won't need to head toward land for a few weeks yet." She said, folding up the map and heading toward the steps.

Jack quickly slid a rope around the helm to catch Elizabeth before she descended the steps. "Where are you going?" He pulled her by her coat sleeve back toward him, capturing her in an embrace

"To the crow's nest. Jonathan's shift ended over an hour ago and no one has relieved him." She said with her hands on his chest.

Jack leaned in to kiss her, but his lips collided with her cheek. He pulled back and looked at her with concern.

"Have I done something?" He asked. She didn't answer him. "Is it because I accused you of wanting Will back in our lives for more than just business reasons? Or is it because I didn't tell you that you are bedding a twice dead pirate?"

Elizabeth snapped her head toward him, brows furrowed.

"Ah, so it's both." He gathered her closer to him, resting his chin on her head. "I'm sorry. I should have told you, but what was I supposed to say? 'While I was gone, your undead husband brought me back to life, just before I handed him your letter'? At the time, I thought you'd care more about the letter itself." he said quietly.

"I did, but I've always cared about your well being." He pulled back and looked at her with a smirk. "I brought you back!" She declared, defending herself.

He laughed and kissed the top of her head, still holding her in an embrace.

"I really do need to relieve that poor boy." She mumbled into his coat.

"Very well" He said, releasing her. "Shall I see you later then?"

"We'll see." She said sweetly, heading down the steps and climbing up the rigging.

Jack smirked watching her climb up to the crow's nest with ease and returned to his place

behind the helm.

—-

A few weeks later they were nearing Valdivia. Elizabeth gave Jack the coordinates, and they approached slowly from the south, veiled in the darkness of the night sky. Clouds hid the moon and stars, and the only light that sprinkled the harbor came from the port town. As they drew closer, they noticed a large number of ships docked.

"Those are navy ships" Jack stated, shutting his spyglass. A nervous feeling bubbling in his gut.

"Why are there so many?" Elizabeth asked.

"They must be using the city as a base." Gibbs offered as the three of them stood against the railing of the quarter deck. "Orders, Captain?"

"Elizabeth and I will take a long boat from here. We'll attempt to sneak into the town undetected."

Elizabeth's eyes brightened as an idea came to her.

"Gibbs, are there any clothes in the chests we pillaged from that galleon?"

"There might be, we haven't yet taken stock of all of our plunder." he answered sheepishly, hoping Jack wouldn't yell at him for the crew's laziness.

Elizabeth rushed passed him down the steps leading to the hold. Gibbs looked back at Jack who merely shrugged.

When Elizabeth returned sometime later, she carried a Spanish naval uniform and a dress. "A disguise to keep us better undetected." She offered.

"Brilliant" Gibbs and Jack said at the same time. Although, Jack's response held far less enthusiasm than Gibbs'.

Elizabeth shoved the uniform into Jack's arms, and headed toward the Captain's cabin. Head hung low, Jack followed behind her.

"Is this really necessary?" He asked as he came through the cabin door.

Elizabeth yelled from the side cabin "Yes, and I won't hear another word about it!"

"As you wish, your highness" He grumbled, laying the uniform out on the table.

The uniform wasn't much unlike those of the royal navy: long coat, vest, shirt, breeches. The only difference between those blasted navy uniforms and his own attire were the stockings and the ridiculous shoes. He sloughed off his coat and effects, laying them on the table draped over the less than useful map they received from Alewar.

"I will get you for this, my dear" He said to himself, staring at the clothes.

"Is that so?" came a voice from behind him, causing Jack to jump. "Help lace me up? She asked, turning her back to him.

She was in a periwinkle gown that fell just off of her shoulders. Her hair was pinned up, two short tendrils draping the side of her face.

Jack laced up the gown, eyeing her bare neck greedily. "Don't you look nice?" He said finishing up the laces and bending down to trail soft kisses along her bare shoulder and up her neck. "I have always said, it should be a dress or nothing. Though, I prefer nothing."

She turned and faced him, smirking. "I'm sure you do. Come on, get dressed." She urged him.

"Care to assist me?" He said with his eyebrows raised.

"No. Now, hurry while we still have the cover of night."

"As you command" He said with a bow, grabbing his clothes and heading for the side cabin.

Elizabeth went over to the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of rum. Uncorking it, she took a long sip and set the bottle down on the table. She noticed Jack's compass lying on the table, and grabbed it. Flipping the lid open, she stared down with curiosity. As she expected, the arrow pointed toward the direction Jack had just gone. She smiled to herself and threw the compass back down onto the table with Jack's clothes and Alewar's map.

"Careful with that." Jack said coming back into the main cabin. "It leads the way to a most marvelous treasure." He said, moving around the table to stand behind her, hands on her shoulders.

"Does it?"

"Aye, but it is a dangerous treasure. If you don't handle it with utmost care, it could very well take your life." he whispered into her ear.

"Then you should heed your own advice, Captain, for you are treading on dangerous ground." She turned on him, irritated at him for bringing _that_ up…again.

"I've already succumbed to the dangers of said treasure, I'll not be fooled again." He teased reaching for the bottle on the table, and Elizabeth smacked him on the arm.

"None for you, I need you to be alert." She said snatching the bottle from him and taking a sip.

"Oh, but you get to have some?" he whined

"I need it to calm my nerves."

"You're nervous?" he asked with a laugh. "Why?"

"Sneaking around in a city I've never been to, with a disguise that has become less convincing in my years spent on the sea, not to mention the number of things that could go wrong, as things tend to when you are involved. A little liquid courage will go along way. Discretion isn't exactly our specialty."

"Fair enough, but you should know all of my best daring do's have happened while slightly inebriated"

Rolling her eyes, she handed him the bottle. He kissed her on the cheek before draining a good portion of the bottle.

He placed the bottle back on the table, and held his arm out to her "Shall we?" he asked.

Elizabeth took the proffered arm, and the two left the cabin. Neither of them had noticed that the compass lay, lid flipped open, on the map with an intricate pattern swirling beneath it, pointing to a drawing of a city.

Gibbs eyes widened at the sight of them. They had really looked like a Naval Officer and Wife. Though upon closer inspection, Jack's hair could give them away, and no lady, even a Spanish one, would be so sun kissed, but it being so dark, they would probably be fine. Probably.

Gibbs thoughts were interrupted by Jack "Stop standing there with your mouth agape. You're a pirate not a cod fish."

"Sorry, Cap'n. It's just…I've never seen you look…so…"

"Devilishly handsome?" Jack offered.

"I was going to say sophisticated, but…"

"Gentlemen." Elizabeth interrupted. "We are pressed for time. Can we be on our way, please?"

"Of course. Let's go." Jack climbed up on the railing next to the long boat and placed one foot into the boat to steady it, straddling the space between the boat and the railing. He offered his hand to Elizabeth as she climbed onto the railing. "Are you wearing boots?" Jack chuckled as he noticed her feet.

"I need to be able to move in case we have to make a run for it." She huffed, siting down in the longboat and adjusting her gown.

Jack sat down across from her. "Alright, let us down." he said, and Gibbs lowered the longboat into the water, waving them off cheerily. Jack took up the oars and began rowing toward the shore.

"We'll tie her up off to the left, there." He said, pointing toward the darkest part of the shore.

"Hopefully there's church not far from there."

"A church?" He questioned her.

"Where there's a church, there's a cemetery, and where there's a cemetery, there are dead bodies." She answered simply.

"I think we need it to be a bit more fresh than that."

"You don't think there's a recently deceased person waiting to be buried?"

Jack shivered at the thought. "Alright, but if we don't find one there, we may have to flitter around the military encampments and wait for a hanging, or if we're lucky one will have just happened."

"And if we're really lucky, it won't be one of us dangling up there." She added, dripping sarcasm "Are you mad? The military encampments? We'll be sitting ducks." She said brusquely.

"Tut, tut, darling. We're dressed in the best finery and equipped with our wits, and, at the very least, excellent swordsmanship. What could go wrong?"

"I am sword-less, and not exactly dressed for a fight." She answered him.

"But if I know you well, and I think I do" He said, running his hand under her gown, along her thigh. "Ah, yes." He said, finding a knife strapped to her leg. "You always have a few tricks up your sleeve, or in this case, your dress" He smirked at her. She smiled wickedly back at him.

They reached the shore and drug the longboat up the beach, hiding it at the base of a cliff beneath some driftwood and a few palm branches. Arm in arm, they walked the beach until they reached a cobblestone road. The road twisted up the mountains in one direction and led into the town in the other. Elizabeth suggested going up the mountain to get a better view of the land, but Jack insisted going the other way, and dragged her with him toward the town. Elizabeth was about to mention that she thought she had seen a steeple up the road, but was quickly shushed as Jack moved them into an alley way. Jack pressed her hard against the wall of a building. Two naval officers marched by them not long after.

"I really think we should go up the mountain" Elizabeth insisted in a whisper. "I'm certain there's a church up there."

"Nonsense, love. This is is the place to be. We just need to time our entrance just so."

"No entrances" She said in a harsh whisper. "We get in, we get out. _Without_ being seen. This guise is merely precautionary."

"Of course, darling." He said, not actually paying attention to her. "The coast is clear, let's go"

As they rounded the corner, they bumped into an officer walking with a young woman. Elizabeth guessed she was a whore by the looks of her. The officer started speaking to Jack in hurried Spanish, his voice quivering as he spoke. Elizabeth didn't know if she was more surprised by the man's fear of Jack, or the perfect Spanish Jack returned effortlessly. After a few sentences of words she couldn't understand, Jack and Elizabeth were on their way again.

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish." She said under her breath.

"My mother was from Spain. It was all she spoke to me when I was a boy" he answered.

"I'd like to hear more about her, I think."

"Another time, perhaps. When there are less pressing matters at hand." He deflected

"What did that man say? He seemed positively terrified of you."

"Apparently he thought I was one of his superiors. He was supposed to be guarding some prisoner. I told him I wouldn't speak a word of his transgressions as long as he didn't mention mine." he said gesturing toward Elizabeth.

"He thought I was your whore?" She asked affronted.

"Only because that's what I had him believe" He teased her.

"You insufferable cad." She spat at him, yanking her arm from his grasp.

"Easy there, love. I wouldn't venture too far away from me. You stick out like a sore thumb in these parts. Though, I find the golden brown tint you've acquired over the years to be entrancing, most proper Spanish women have never seen the sun" Elizabeth huffed as he took her arm in his again.

"I wish you didn't derive such pleasure from getting a rise out of me."

"Shh. We're nearing the fort."

She looked at him fury rising behind her eyes. "Jack! We're supposed to be heading for a church" She whispered through gritted teeth.

"We happened upon the fort first." He shrugged.

"Tell me, honestly, did you ever have any intention of trying to find a church?"

"Honestly? No, I didn't" he said quickly, a cheeky grin plastered to his face. "Come on." He said, beckoning for her to follow him.

From where they approached, the walls of the fort were not very tall, and very few guards marched along them. The cobblestone road led straight to the top battlements, a few canons poked out to the sea along the way, and a single tower lay ahead in the distance with its torches lit.

"How am I supposed to sneak anywhere dressed like this? If we did as I suggested and went to the churchyard we could at least pretend we were grieving over a lost loved one, but how many sailors do you know would march their whore toward the battlements?" she asked him annoyed, putting extra emphasis on 'whore'.

"It was your idea to wear a dress."

"Yes, when the plan was to find a body without being detected, not go traipsing about the top of the fort. If I'd have known you were going improvise our plan, I would have dressed accordingly."

"Lizzie, darling, you know me better than that. I'm always improvising, and besides, I think you look great, love."

"What's the plan?" She said, ignoring him.

"Follow my lead." He said, walking toward two guards who were leaning against the tower wall.

"What? No. Wait. Jack!" She said in her loudest whisper. _We're dead_, She said to herself, hugging the wall where she stood.

She watched nervously as Jack sauntered up to the two of them, talking to them animatedly in Spanish. The two guards quickly grabbed their muskets and ran toward the direction she and Jack had just come from. Elizabeth ducked quickly behind a turret as they passed her. Once they were out of sight, she peaked out from behind the turret, looking for Jack. He waved her over to join him at the base of the tower.

The guards had told him there was no one inside. Everyone was at some fancy to do up at the Governor's mansion. "Would you like to go?" He asked her, and she gave him a look. The one that told him he better quit while he was ahead.

"How did you get them to leave their stations?" Elizabeth asked unable to quell her curiosity.

"I told them that I spotted some Englishmen skulking about the main road. Should buy us some time." He said with an arrogant nonchalance that made Elizabeth nervous.

The two of them made their way into the tower. A set of steps led up to a higher vantage point and down toward a series of a tunnels leading to the prison. Jack headed down the steps with Elizabeth in tow.

"Did they also tell you of a deceased prisoner, or are you just planning on springing one and throwing them into the ocean?" She asked in a huff.

"Either one."

Elizabeth ran a hand across her face.

As they inched further into the belly of the fort, they passed a store room.

"Hold on a moment." Elizabeth exclaimed as she rushed in and shut the door.

Pulling her knife from her skirt, she sliced the front of her bodice, freeing herself from the gown. She found a uniform as close to her size as she could find. It was too big for her, but the bagginess helped to hide her womanly figure. Hair tucked beneath a hat, she grabbed a sword and scabbard and returned to the hallway.

"That's more like it." She whispered as she rejoined Jack.

"Aw. I liked the dress." He pouted.

"Move" She said pushing him forward.

When they reached the cells, there wasn't a guard in sight.

"Why would they only have a handful of guards stationed at the prison?" She asked him, as they walk more relaxed through the prison tunnels.

"There either aren't any prisoners, or the ones they do have don't pose a very big threat."

He was right. Every cell was empty as far as she could see, save for one at the very end of the hallway. When they finally reached the cell, both of their jaws dropped.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Hector Barbossa barked from the corner of his cell, cackling into the night air at the stunned looks on their faces.


	15. The Return of Hector Barbossa

**The Return of Hector Barbossa**

"Have you come to rescue me?" Barbossa chuckled, moving over to the bars.

"Merely a coincidence." Jack stated plainly, eyeing Barbossa cautiously.

"What are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked Barbossa, unable to hide her curiosity.

"I'm enjoying a holiday, Mrs. Turner. What do you think I'm doing here?"

She was about to correct the name when Jack interrupted. "Where's the Revenge?"

"Funny you should ask. I'd just been sailing about; pillaging, plundering, what have you, after I discovered everything supernatural about that blasted vessel died with Blackbeard. We were near Cuba when The Spanish came upon us. They dispatched my crew," He said giving a gesture indicating they'd been killed, "and brought me here."

"How long have you been here?" Elizabeth asked him.

"Little more than a year." He answered, giving a meaningful smirk toward Jack. Jack returned the smirk, and if one were to focus intently it would seem the two were silently communicating something of grave importance. Elizabeth took no notice.

"What would they possibly want with you?" Jack asked

"They asked me about the Revenge for one, and how to make it come alive. A fruitless endeavor, I said. Weren't too happy to find that out. More questions about Blackbeard and what happened to him, and about some stupid chest. I assumed they were talking about _the_ chest, but apparently that wasn't the case. Since I did not provide them with the information they needed, they kept me locked down here until I divulge whatever it is they think I know."

"The Spanish are after the chest? I would have guessed he was the one after it." Elizabeth said quietly to Jack causing him to chuckle.

"They asked me about you too, Jack." Barbossa added, interrupting the quiet conversation.

"Me? Why would they ask you about me?" Jack asked, his eyes pleading with Barbossa to not say anything more about it.

"It's no secret we were once acquaintances, but they never said what they wanted with you, only that they're very eager to know your whereabouts." Barbossa finished.

Jack let out a small breath that he hoped Elizabeth hadn't noticed.

"You didn't tell them where _the_ chest is, did you?" Elizabeth asked Barbossa, suddenly worried, trepidation clear on her face. Jack looked at her skeptically and she turned to him. "Don't look at me like that. I told Will I would still protect the heart even though we are no longer married." she whispered to him.

"No longer Mrs. Turner, aye? Well that is certainly interesting." Barbossa muttered languidly.

"It is of no concern to you, I assure you." Jack added.

"Still pining for the wench after all this time, are ye?" Barbara laughed heartily.

Jack gripped Barbossa's shirt, and pulled him hard up against the bars.

"Jack, enough." Elizabeth stopped him. Jack relaxed his arm, but still clutched his shirt tightly. "Let go." She said to him in a scolding tone. He looked at her pleadingly, but her stance was firm and he did as she said.

Barbossa laughed a gruff laugh. "Don't worry, the whelp is safe"

"Thank you." Elizabeth said softly. "We should get you out of here, and quickly."

"I say we leave him here" Jack said turning from the bars and staring around the corner, checking for guards.

"I wouldn't be doing that, Jack. I've suddenly acquired a bevy of information that could prove useful in my release." Barbossa spat.

Jack grumbled audibly. "Fine. Where are the keys?"

Barbossa shrugged. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and went searching for them herself. She found the keys around the next corridor hanging from a hook in plain sight. Any other time she would have found that fact to be suspicious, but they needed to get out of the prison in a hurry. She returned and began to unlock the cell. Jack put an arm on hers and whispered, "If he tries anything, I'm throwing _him_ in the ocean to call Turner." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and nodded.

The three of them briskly maneuvered back the way Jack and Elizabeth had come. There were still no guards in sight. It was so strange. _Could they really be that lucky?_ Elizabeth thought to herself. Her question was answered when they exited the fort and 40 or so navy soldiers stood, guns trained on the trio. The young man Jack had spoken with earlier stepped forward.

"Not good." Jack muttered.

"Hola, Captain Sparrow." He said in a thick accent, walking toward them.

"Hello. Do I know you?" He asked.

"Why, yes, actually, we met earlier this evening. Though we were both in considerably different company. How fortunate for me that you would happen upon us here. We have been looking for you for quite some time."

"Really? Whatever for?"

"Your friend here told me that you have information about Blackbeard and a certain chest." He said gesturing to Barbossa.

Jack looked at Barbossa with a menacing glare. "He's not my friend, and he is a notorious liar. I don't know anything about…Blackbeard is it?"

Barbossa rolled his eyes.

"If he is not your friend, then why would you free him from his cell?" The Spanish man asked.

"An excellent question, but I have a better one. What has weight in its belly, trees on its back, nails in its ribs, no feet to speak of, and is looming over you like a shroud of death?"

"I don't have time for games, Sparrow? Tell me what I need to know and you can all go free."

"My ship." Jack answered.

"Pardon?" The man questioned.

"The answer is my ship." he said darkly, as cannon fire rained down on the beach where they stood. The Red Devil sat menacingly, not far from the shore, Spanish soldiers scattering in the chaos.

"Run!" Jack yelled, and the three of them ran down the beach toward their longboat as cannonballs fell around them.

"Men to your stations." The spaniard bellowed, and soldiers ran to the top of the battlements and started loading their own cannons while a few other men chased down Jack, Elizabeth, and Barbossa.

One of the soldiers threw a bolas, catching Elizabeth's foot and knocking her to the sand. She unsheathed her sword just in time to block the sword that was coming down fast upon her.

Rolling to the side as another swipe crashed into the sand, she was able to get to her feet. She rounded on the man. Blow after blow she fought him, wearing him down with ease before driving her sword through his gut. She ran after the other men who were still chasing down Jack and Barbossa.

"Jack, watch out!" She screamed as one of the men reached him with his sword drawn.

Jack turned quickly and threw the man to the sand. He swiftly dragged his sword across the fallen man's neck, and moved to stab the next soldier. Barbossa stole a pistol from the recently slain man and aimed it squarely at the man Jack was fighting.

"Sparrow, duck!" he yelled and shot the man in the temple as Jack tumbled to the sand.

Elizabeth dragged the longboat to the water as Jack and Barbossa stripped the bodies of weapons. "Hurry!" She urged them as she noticed more men coming down the beach. "and bring one of them with us!" She added indicating one of the fallen men.

The three of them cast off and rowed further out into the harbor. The Red Devil was not far behind, heading toward them after thoroughly destroying Valdivia's fort.

"That was a close one." Jack breathed heavily.

"I should have stayed in that cell." Barbossa coughed, trying to catch his breath.

"You should have kept your mouth shut" Jack muttered to Barbossa under his breath, making sure Elizabeth did not hear.

"Sorry, Jack. I'm not willing to die for you." Barbossa whispered back.

"We need to put as many leagues between us and this place as possible." Elizabeth said hurriedly.

"Agreed." Jack said as The Red Devil caught up to them.

Gibbs had let down the ropes to latch onto the longboat. Elizabeth and Jack made quick work of getting the longboat secured. "Let us up!" Jack yelled up to him.

Jack climbed out first, holding his hand out to Elizabeth and helping her onto the ship. Jack rushed to the helm and began barking orders to the crew.

"It's alright. I don't need any help." Barbossa said, trying to get out of the longboat with the dead soldier in his arms. He violently tossed the body onto the deck and stumbled to his feet. Gibbs met him with a shocked look on his face.

"Barbossa?" Gibbs said in surprise.

"We found him locked up in the fort, he's here to help us now." Elizabeth intervened.

"I didn't say I was going to help you. You can drop me off in the next port. I wont be subjected to any more of Jack's perilous adventures." Barbossa said as he leaned against the railing. Elizabeth squinted her eyes at him before turning to Mister Gibbs.

"Gibbs, that body can be put in the brig for the time being." She instructed him

"Is he…?"

"Dead? Quite." She said plainly. "Find a bunk for Hector and bring him some food. I'd wager he hasn't had much to eat as of late" She said spying his emaciated figure.

"You're too kind, Miss Swann." He said the name pointedly.

"Don't press your luck." She added before she headed to the helm. Toby stood at the wheel as Jack stood at the stern railing, staring back at Valdivia. Ships with sails unfurled headed toward them.

"Do you think they'll catch up to us?" She asked Jack, leaning against the railing next to him.

"We have the faster ship. We'll lose them if we steer ourselves away from the coast into more open water. The wind is on our side at present." He said confidently.

"Barbossa wants to be dropped off at the next port." Elizabeth added turning to look at him.

"Well that's too bad for him. He's going to have to wait." He snapped.

"I don't like having him onboard any more than you do." She reassured him, putting her hand over his.

"A fine mess we've gotten ourselves into this time." He said, putting his arm around her, and pulling her close to him, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Elizabeth leaned her head against him as the distance between them and the enemy ships increased.


	16. Summoning Ole Fish Face

**Summoning Ole Fish Face**

"It's time" Jack said, peering into the cabin. Elizabeth got up from her place at the desk and followed him outside. Gibbs, Barbossa, and a few other crew members stood near the railing with the dead soldier at their feet.

"You're sure we've lost the Spanish Navy?" She asked Jack

"Positive, darling. Though, it is best not to wait any longer if we still plan to do this." He answered, placing his hand at the small of her back.

"And what happens exactly?" Elizabeth asked "You throw the man in the water, and the dutchman appears just like that?"

"Sometimes yes, sometimes no." Jack answered with a shrug.

"How convenient." She muttered.

"So, how long must I wait until we head for another port?" Barbossa asked with an impatient huff.

"For as long as I deem necessary or until you're no longer useful." Jack said sternly, moving toward the pirate.

"Alright, enough." Elizabeth barked, splitting the two apart. "Let's get this over with."

"We don't have to do this. I'm sure there are other means of communicating with Calypso" he whispered to Elizabeth, a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you know of any?" She asked seriously.

Jack shook his head.

"Then we have to do this." Elizabeth nodded toward Gibbs and Bennett who threw the soldier into the water.

They all peered over the side into the water, waiting for something to happen. Nothing. A few more minutes passed, and, still, nothing. No ship rising from the water, No Will magically appearing on deck, just water lapping against the side of the ship.

"Perhaps he was not fresh enough? Jack, care to volunteer?" Barbossa laughed and Jack shot him an accusatory glare once again, hand resting on his own pistol.

"It looks like we may have to wait a bit." Jack said turning to the crew, trying desperately to ignore Barbossa's incessant needling of his person. The crew scurried back to their duties while Barbossa maintained a safe eaves dropping distance.

"When Will came to you, how long did it take?" Elizabeth asked Jack.

"Can't say I remember. I was dying."

"You never did tell me how that happened." She said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"That is most definitely a story I wish not to relive at this moment."

"Please?" She pleaded with him, batting her eyes and pouting at him in such a way she knew he wouldn't be able to resist.

"Later." He answered and she looked at him skeptically. "I promise." He said, leaning down to kiss her.

"Fine." She pouted and answered his kiss. "I think I'll stay on deck in case anything should happen" She said, pulling away from him.

"I'm going to try to catch a bit of shut-eye. Keep a close watch on that one." He said, pointing to Barbossa. "I don't entirely trust him." Elizabeth laughed as she headed to the quarterdeck and Jack headed toward the cabin.

Elizabeth stood, staring off into the distance, pondering over what she was going to say when she saw Will. It will have been almost two years since she'd last seen his face. Her thoughts were interrupted by a gravelly voice.

"So, you've forsaken your vows already?" Barbossa chided towards Elizabeth as he leaned against the railing next to her.

"I don't see how it's any of your business." She quipped and left the railing, heading toward the steps.

"It's not. I just find it curious." Barbossa said, following her.

"Curious?" She asked as she turned to face him, unsure as to where this was heading.

"That you would let Jack into your bed so soon after the whelp's departure."

"For your information, William and I ended our marriage amicably and mutually." She said anger rising in her voice, "And, not that I need to justify my actions to you, but Jack and I…well…that's a fairly recent development." _Why am I telling him this?_

Barbossa snorted and Elizabeth started to seethe.

She took a deep breath to steady herself. _Don't let him get to you, Lizzie._

"Why does any of this matter?" She asked him, suspecting he was up to something.

"It doesn't. Though, I can't imagine William will be too thrilled to find his wife in the arms of Jack Sparrow once he arrives."

"I'm a free woman, my decisions are my own, and that is all that needs to be known by you or by Will." She said in a firm voice "I'd tread carefully if I were you, Hector. I won't hesitate to toss you in the ocean strapped to a barrel." She seethed.

"Tut, tut, Miss Swann. There's no need for threats. I have nothing up my sleeve" he snickered as he headed below deck "not yet, anyway" he added under his breath when he was out of ear shot.

Elizabeth turned on her heels and headed toward the captain's cabin.

"I hate that man" Elizabeth grumbled as she barged into the bedroom, tossing off her hat and coat. Jack lay on the bed with his hat over his face.

"I assume you mean Barbossa?" he asked from underneath the hat.

"Puzzled that out all by yourself did you?" She asked sarcastically, straddling Jack on the bed. Playfully removing the hat from his face, she moved to lay down on top of him, snuggling her face into the crook of his neck, placing light kisses along his soft skin.

"Far be it from me to question your decisions, love, but I do believe you are the one who insisted we couldn't keep him in the brig." He said wrapping his arms around her, running his hands up and down her back.

"I know. I know." She said exasperatedly into his chest before propping herself back up. "I'd forgotten how much I hate him."

"I've made that mistake before." He joked and pulled her back down to him, hungrily capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss. Breaking the kiss, Elizabeth lay her head across his chest, listening to his quickening heartbeat. Jack brought his hand to her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

A few moments passed before either of them spoke again. "Do you think we should maybe not tell Will that you and I are…?" Elizabeth asked, nuzzling her face back into the crook of his neck.

For a moment, Jack grew nervous. "I didn't think we would exactly welcome him aboard with that particular news, but I don't see any sense in hiding it either. Unless there is a reason that you're not telling me?" He asked, staring down at her.

"I'm just worried how he will react. What if he decides not to help us?"

"He may not be able to help us." Jack ran his hand up and down her arm, "That's a very real possibility." He took a long pause before he decided to speak his mind. "Are you perhaps worried that if he were to find out, that it would really mean the end of your marriage?" he asked sympathetically, or at least he thought he did.

Elizabeth propped herself up, looking for any trace of jest on Jack's features. Not finding any, a scowl creeped on to her face. "No!" She finally said, snatching herself away from him and storming into the other room.

"Lizzie, wait! I didn't mean it like that." He said chasing after her.

She turned on him quickly, "No? Then how did you mean it?"

Jack fumbled with his thoughts, trying to get the words to come out of his mouth, but they just wouldn't come. Elizabeth scoffed at him and headed out on deck, slamming the door before he could come up with a coherent thought. Sighing, Jack walked over to the table, grabbed a bottle of rum, and emptied its remaining contents in one go. "I'm going to need more rum" he said to himself.

A little while later, Jack went on deck. He looked toward the helm expecting to see Elizabeth, but Gibbs stood in her place and pointed him toward the stairs leading below deck. Jack gave Gibbs a nod and headed in that direction. He had really stepped in it this time, Jack thought.

Whenever Elizabeth was at her angriest she always went to the galley. Bennett, the cook, had a particularly strong weed that he would smoke from his clay pipe. He said it was good for calming the nerves, and could bring clarity to any problem. Elizabeth occasionally indulged herself on nights she couldn't sleep, but when she was upset, it was almost a guarantee that if she was not at the helm, she could be found below deck. As Jack had expected, Elizabeth sat atop Bennett's cooking table with her back leaning against the hull of the ship, pipe between her lips, exhaling deeply. Bennett was busy readying dinner.

Jack walked in and approached Elizabeth very slowly. "Lizzie, may I have a quick word with you?"

"I suppose you may." She said evenly as she took another puff from the clay pipe.

When she made no effort to move, Jack added, "In private?"

Elizabeth sighed and set the pipe down. "Bennet, would you give us a moment, please?" She asked him.

Bennet stopped what he was doing and turned to her. "Of course, Captain." he said. As he walked out of the room, he grumbled under his breath "It's not as if I have a whole ship to feed or anything."

Elizabeth stood in front of Jack, arms crossed and waited for him to speak. He just stood there for a few moments.

"I don't have all day, Jack. What is it?" Elizabeth said impatiently.

"You're being a bit ridiculous, don't you think?" He snapped at her. "I've said some rather offensive things in my day, but that was not one of them."

"How could you think that I'm not ready to let go of my marriage? I was the one who ended it. You couldn't possibly be that jealous?" Elizabeth poked him purposefully.

"Couldn't I? Your tastes have been known to change quite dramatically from one moment to the next. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if you were hanging onto William, so that when you tired of me you'd have someone to go back to." This really wasn't at all how he wanted the conversation to go. It didn't bother him that she still loved William. They had been married. It was certainly understandable to hold on to that very tightly, even if there was no intention of seeing it through 'til the end. But it didn't stop Jack from digging his own grave with his words. "Shame old Norrington isn't around, you could have had your fun with all three of us." he jeered.

Elizabeth slapped him so hard, her hand went numb from the sting. "Go to hell" She said as she tried to push passed him. Jack caught her around the waist and pushed her against the wall, trapping her body between his. "Let me go!" She said angrily, trying to free herself from his hard grip on her shoulders.

"Not until you tell me what the hell has gotten into you." He said firmly.

"You have!" She spat. "Now let me go!" She said still squirming in his arms.

"Elizabeth, stop this!" He said tightening his grip.

"NO!" She snatched herself away from him, and ran out of the galley.

"Bloody hell" Jack said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

When he walked back on deck, he saw Elizabeth speaking with Gibbs in front of their cabin door. She spied him out of the corner of her eye and immediately went inside, slamming the door behind her.

Gibbs walked over to Jack shortly after. "What did you do?" He asked with a trace of humor in his voice.

"Nothing good." He said with a sigh and headed toward the quarterdeck. Gibbs stifled a chuckle and followed him.

—-

Elizabeth woke in a cold sweat, struggling to catch her breath. Nightmares had plagued her all throughout the night. Jack wasn't entirely incorrect in his assumptions. The realization that she would soon have to face Will weighed heavily on her. When she first came up with the idea to find him, it seemed a harmless thought, but as his inevitable arrival creeped closer, the more she discovered just how complicated the meeting could become. It wasn't because she feared an absolute end, but for other reasons that she wasn't ready to voice. It put her on edge which didn't help matters between her and Jack.

Elizabeth reached to her right for him, but the bed was empty. Covering herself up, Elizabeth attempted to fall back asleep, but her mind continued to race. They had avoided each other for three days. Each of them dancing around the other like children. The longer they spent not talking, the more unbearable they became.

The whole ship was put on edge. Will still had not graced them with his presence, and Barbossa antagonized Jack at every turn. It was all Jack could do to avoid both Elizabeth and Barbossa, and the Red Devil was not that big of a ship.

Earlier that evening, they finally stopped avoiding each other and ended up arguing at length in the middle of the deck. No one could really say what they had been fighting about, but they each had said their fair share of hurtful things and Elizabeth had gone to bed not speaking to him. Jack had stomped off toward the helm and stayed there for the remainder of the night, unsuccessfully avoiding Barbossa's snide remarks and condescending laughter.

Eventually, Jack returned to their cabin. Elizabeth heard him enter, but kept her back towards the door and stared off into the darkness. Jack shrugged off his coat and sat at the desk for a minute, holding the compass in his hands. If she would have just let him explain in the first place, he thought. But he knew he could end this stand off if he just admitted that he was afraid. Afraid she would see William and regret everything that had happened between them, afraid of being double crossed, afraid of losing everything. He sighed deeply and headed toward the side cabin.

Sitting down on the bed, he nudged Elizabeth gently and whispered apologies into her ear. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her into his arms, surprised to find that she was wide awake. Elizabeth cried softly into his chest and he just held her. They sat that way for a long time before Elizabeth loosed herself from Jack's grip.

She wiped the tears from her face and stared at the bed covers, contemplating just exactly what she wanted to say. Jack put his hand to her face, forcing her to look at him.

"I think we need to get a few things straightened out." He said softly "First of all, I didn't mean what I said the other day…"

"And earlier today?" She cut him off and he sighed.

"and earlier today, but you know, sometimes you can be a bit…" he paused, trying to find the right word without agitating her further.

"Mulish?" She sniffed and let out a small laugh.

"I was going to say obstinate or pigheaded, but mulish about covers it" Jack chuckled, leaning back against the headboard and pulling her into his arms.

"My father always used to say that you could move a mountain easier than you could move me." She said sheepishly.

"Of that, I have no doubt. Listen, I understand that there may be lingering feelings in regard to the whelp. I wasn't accusing you of anything, I was just offering you a possible explanation for your unnecessary worry. I wasn't necessarily jealous, but there's a small part of me that was…is…" he almost choked on the word "afraid you'll realize what you've given up the moment you see him again, but if that's your choice I won't stop you."

"You listen" She said sitting up "I did love Will, and he will always be important to me, but that chapter of my life is over and shall remain as such."

"Then what has gotten you so riled?" He asked softly.

"That he'll find out the truth."

"The truth?" he looked at her, confusion on his face.

She looked down at the bed covers for a moment before speaking, "That chapter had been over long before I ever decided to write him that letter."

"How long?" he cocked an eyebrow, eyeing her with intense scrutiny. She turned her head, avoiding his gaze. Jack brought his hand to her face turning her focus back toward him. "Lizzie, how long?"

"I don't know when exactly, but nothing was ever the same after…" she paused "…I just didn't know…" She couldn't get the words out, tears began welling up in the corner of her eyes. Jack gathered her into his arms again. "If he were to know…if he were to think…I can't let him take you away from me." She said into his chest.

"William would never be so cruel" He said, trying to comfort her.

"I'm sure Calypso thought the same of Davy Jones." She mumbled, holding onto him tightly.

"My little worrier, what am I to do with you?" He said, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I've been so impossible" She said, looking up at him with tear stained cheeks

"It was bound to happen sooner or later. An unstoppable force up against an immovable object can only result in impossibilities."

Elizabeth laughed at that and buried her head into his chest.

—

Outside, the water began to churn. The crew ran to the starboard railing and peered over the edge. As the dutchman jutted out of the water, everyone jumped back a foot, and Gibbs headed to the Captain's cabin to send the word that Will had, at last, arrived.

—

Elizabeth and Jack heard a soft knocking on the door. Jack reluctantly pried Elizabeth's arms from around his waist and headed to the door. She waited on the bed for him to return, propping her head up on her elbow.

"It's the dutchman" He said somberly when he returned.

Elizabeth quickly got to her feet, straightening her clothes and fixing her hair. Taking note of Jack's sullen face, she walked over to him and lay a hand on his cheek. "I love you. No matter what happens, that will never change. Is that understood?"

He grabbed her roughly and pressed his lips to hers. He ran his hands along her body, sliding down her arms, up her back, and into her hair, a fiery passion burned hotter within him every minute. She returned his kiss with the same desperation. She slid her hands underneath the front of his shirt, exploring every inch of him. Jack finally broke the kiss and breathing heavily rested his forehead against hers.

"I'll take that as an 'aye'" she whispered. Smiling, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him.

—

Will stared over onto the deck of the Red Devil thoroughly confused at the sight in front of him.

Everyone bustled around the ship in perfect health. He spotted Gibbs at the helm waving him over. Suddenly, he grew anxious. _Why would they be summoning me? Has something happened to Elizabeth? To Jack?_ He thought to himself. His curiosity was piqued further as he watched Barbossa saunter across the deck. What on earth is he doing here?

Will made his way onto the other ship. Gibbs hurried to him with open arms.

"Will! It sure is good to see ye." He said clapping him on the back.

"Likewise, but I expect you didn't bring me here just because you missed me." He retorted with a small smile.

"True enough. We are sorry to take you away from your duties, but there is something that requires your attention."

"Is everything all right? Is Elizabeth in danger?" He asked anxiously

"Well, that depends on what you define as dangerous?" Barbossa smirked, inserting himself into the conversation.

"And what would you define as dangerous?" Will spat back annoyed. He hadn't been used to playing these games and had no patience for them anymore.

"Not so much a 'what' as it is a 'who'" he answered him, equally as vague and gesturing toward Jack and Elizabeth as they exited the Captain's cabin.

"Elizabeth" Will said quietly.

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat as she looked up to see Will standing directly in front of her only a few steps away. She stopped dead in her tracks. "Will" She breathed. A thousand thoughts and emotions filled every inch of her. Losing her balance, she stumbled forward. Jack grabbed her by the arm, helping her up before she hit the deck. He whispered a few reassuring words to her as he pushed her forward.

Will moved toward her and she met him awkwardly. Not sure whether to hug or kiss her, he leaned in and Elizabeth offered him her cheek. "I can't believe it's really you," he said holding her at arms length. She smiled sheepishly.

"William," Jack said coming over to them and offering his hand. "You haven't aged a day since I last saw you." He smiled.

"And you look infinitely better since last I saw you" He joked back, taking Jack's hand and pulling him into hug.

"That is something I would very much like to reexamine, but there are other matters at hand" Elizabeth interrupted.

"Of course, Gibbs mentioned you needed my help. What kind of mess have you gotten my wife into this time, Jack?"

"Into his bed sheets, I'd wager" Barbossa muttered. Elizabeth's eyes widened. Jack gave Gibbs a 'get him out of here' look and Gibbs put his arm over Barbossa's shoulder ushering him below deck. "Come on, we have a fresh bushel of apples in the galley" He said trying to push him down the steps.

"Remember Turner, before you get too angry, she's not your wife anymore!" He yelled as they headed below deck.

"I swear to the gods, I will put a bullet in his head before this journey is through" Jack grumbled staring after him.

"I was rather surprised to see him aboard considering…" Will started, but Jack turned to him quickly, giving him a small shake of the head, urging him not to continue.

"Considering what?" Elizabeth asked shifting her gaze between the two.

"Considering their history." Will said simply.

"It was her idea." Jack said to Will.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes "Would you rather I let him give you up to the Spanish?"

"I would rather not have him aboard." Jack argued back.

"If I may interrupt? What is it exactly you need from me?" Will asked a sad smile on his lips.

"Right. Perhaps we should take this inside?" Jack said gesturing toward the Captain's cabin.

The three of them headed into the cabin, led by Jack. Elizabeth and Jack explained the whole story of the chest, of Alewar, of Blackbeard, and of the Spanish. Will took a moment, ruminating on all of the details.

"I'm sorry to say I have no knowledge of any chest, or maps, or this Alewar person. My expertise is limited to my duties. Basically I know as much as Calypso allows me to know." He shrugged.

"Do you speak with her often?" Elizabeth asked.

"Calypso? I mean, I suppose from time to time. Why?" Will asked.

"It was the gods who sent us on this wild goose chase. She is one of them, and we have a map that neither of us can read. If anyone could enlighten us, it would be her." Elizabeth said with a trace of frustration in her voice.

"I'll see what I can do." Will said.

"Thank you" She said softly. For a moment they all stood there, an awkward silence filling the room.

"You said the Spanish are after you?" Will turned to Jack. Jack nodded. "Well, then you should know, there's a fleet not too far north of here. Looks like they were heading toward Peru.

Elizabeth turned to Jack, worry on her face.

"Well, I best get this ship moving! I'll give you two a moment" Jack said animatedly and quickly went out on deck. Elizabeth smiled brightly as he left.

"So…you and Jack…?" Will asked hesitantly.

"It just happened, Will…I…"

"Elizabeth, it's all right. To be honest, I'm surprised that it didn't happen sooner," he chuckled.

"Was it that obvious?" She asked exasperatedly.

Will just laughed at her. "Are you happy?" He asked seriously.

"Immeasurably."

"Then I'm happy." He said pulling her into a hug. "I suppose it's a good thing I saved Jack's life after Barbossa…" He stopped himself, realizing what he was saying.

"After Barbossa what?!" She yelled pulling away from him.

"I've said too much. I promised Jack…"

She cut him off, "William Turner you tell me this instant what happened!"

—

Elizabeth burst from the Captain's cabin in a fit of rage. She marched up to Barbossa who had come back up from below deck, and punched him square in the face, knocking him to the ground. "Get the hell off of my ship" She spat at him.

Barbossa sat on the deck laughing. "Quite the right hook, Miss Swann."

Jack looked to Will who just shrugged and mouthed "Sorry."

Jack rolled his eyes and grabbed Elizabeth by the shoulders. "We can't dispose of him just yet" Jack whispered to her.

"Why not?!" She asked heated.

"Because he knows too much, and there are Spanish ships nearby."

"Well, then, he goes in the brig. Toby, Bennett, deal with him" She said ordering her men to take him below deck and stalked off to the helm.

"You just had to tell her, didn't you?" Jack said to Will as he followed after Elizabeth.

Will laughed to himself as Toby and Bennett picked Barbossa up by the arms and carried him below.

—

"Don't even start." She said as Jack approached her. "I would've used _him_ to summon Will if I'd have known he put a bullet in your chest. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because there wasn't time" He said with a shrug.

"Not an acceptable excuse. You had plenty of opportunities. We agreed, no secrets."

"Aye, we did. But since you have been keeping secrets from me, I figured that rule allowed a certain amount of gray area."

"_I've_ been keeping secrets? I hardly think my left handedness constitutes a secret worthwhile of keeping."

"Ah, but you see, that is a very important detail when engaging in amorous affairs." He said, stepping behind and sliding his arms around her waist.

"Oh, how's that?" She asked, leaning into him.

"It's widely known, that left handed humans have a wickedly evil, preternatural disposition. Perhaps, then, I decide to take this trip alone? Maybe I decide to leave you in Tortuga instead of following your bearing to Isla Cruces?" He whispered in her ear. "Fortunately for me, I already suspected such a demon dwelled deep inside you. A trait I find quite intoxicating." He said, lips ghosting against the side of her face.

"Do not think you can seduce me into forgetting about this." She said, her body betraying her words.

The pair were startled apart at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"I hate to interrupt, but I really have to be going." Will said, with an amused smirk.

Elizabeth let go of the helm and hugged Will tightly. "Thank you for everything."

"Of course. I will send word to Calypso as soon as I can. I can't guarantee she'll help, though." He said squeezing her tightly in return.

"Thats all right. Even a chance at help is better than nothing." She pulled away.

"William, always a pleasure." Jack said offering his hand to him.

"Indeed. Good luck, and try not to get yourself killed," he laughed, and in the blink of an eye he was gone.

"I daresay he's grown on me." Jack said, putting an arm around Elizabeth as they watched the dutchman plunge back into the water.

"I'm still mad at you." She said, turning toward him.

"How can I make it up to you?" He asked, running the back of his had across her cheek and into her hair.

"I can think of a few things" She said, sliding her hands inside of his coat and flashing him a mischievous smirk.

"I thought you said I couldn't seduce you into forgetting about all of this."

"I said you would not be successful, I never said you couldn't try." She grinned slyly.

"Aye" He growled and threw her over his shoulder. "Gibbs, the helm!" He shouted, carrying her into the captain's cabin, Elizabeth laughing wildly.


	17. Conspirators

A/N: Sorry it has been so long since the last update. Christmas time is our busy time at work. Many many nutcrackers and christmas pageants, but here we are...

It's kind of a shorty, but there will be more to come in the next week or so... thank you for your patience! Enjoy!

**Conspirators**

Elizabeth and Jack, paced their cabin, deep in discussion over the best course to avoid the ensuing Spanish fleet. Elizabeth suggested they fly Spanish Colors in order to remain inconspicuous, but Jack argued that they'd never believe them to be Spanish sailing around on an English-made ship.

"We're not armed heavily enough to fight them, so what do you suggest as an alternative?" She asked Jack pointedly.

"The fleet will likely stay close to the coast, so we should sail out into more open waters. Bypass them all together." He said drawing his finger across the map on the table.

"You really believe it will be that simple?"

"Of the two of us, I would say my expertise in these matters far outweighs yours. Therefore we will go with my plan."

"And if you're wrong?" She asked, arms crossed in front of her.

"I'm not."

"Jack." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm the Captain of this venture." Jack said with hopeful authority, standing behind her desk with his arms crossed.

Elizabeth looked at him, an eyebrow raised "I do hope that I won't have to point out to you one obvious observation that you've failed to observe," She said in her best Jack Sparrow impression, sauntering toward him.

With a chuckle, he asked "and that would be?" as he moved toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Putting her hands and his shoulders, she stood on her toes and whispered seductively into his ear, "King" before pressing her lips to his ear and trailing kisses down his neck.

Jack moved her toward the desk and unceremoniously cleared its surface of all objects before lifting her to sit on the edge. Leaning over her, he forced her onto her back. "You can't be flaunting your title about whenever it suits you" He whispered roguishly, sliding his hands beneath her shirt toward her breasts, gently caressing the soft skin of her torso.

"Pirate" She gasped, grabbing his shirt and pulling him down on top of her, capturing his mouth with her own.

Jack moved his hands to her face, running them delicately along her neck and down toward the opening of her shirt. In one swift motion her ripped her shirt apart, exposing her bare skin.

Pulling back, she looked at him questioningly.

"I've always wanted to do that" He smirked and pressed his mouth to her chest.

"Captain, you're wanted below deck" Gibbs exclaimed, entering the cabin.

Elizabeth shrieked, pushing Jack off of her and sitting up to cover herself.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. So sorry" Gibbs repeated over and over again as he found his way back out of the cabin.

Arms over her chest, Elizabeth rested her forehead against Jack's chest in embarrassment. "We should probably start locking the door" she mumbled into his shirt.

"Aye" Jack laughed, pulling her into his arms.

A few moments later Jack emerged from the cabin, a bashful Gibbs waiting patiently near the mast.

"So, what urgent matter is so pressing that knocking is no longer an acceptable means of etiquette?" Jack asked, walking toward him.

"I'm sorry, Cap'n. I didn't mean to…"

Jack waved his hand, cutting him off. "Come on, let's have it." He said impatiently.

"It's Barbossa. He'd like to have a word with you." Gibbs answered.

"Ah. Very well." He replied knowingly and proceeded back to the captain's quarters.

When Jack returned to the cabin, Elizabeth was not where he had left her. "Elizabeth?" He called for her.

"In here, Captain" She said seductively from the side cabin.

Jack headed toward the sound of her voice and found Elizabeth completely naked, waiting for him on the bed. "Lizzie, love, why must you torture me so?" he said moving to the bed, cupping her face in his hand.

"That was not my intention." She giggled and as his expression changed to one of solemn thoughtfulness she asked, "What is it?"

For a moment he did not answer her, and ran his hand down her side, stopping to trace a pattern along her hip, "I have to go."

"Go? Where?" She asked amused.

"Barbossa wants to talk."

"Oh! Why didn't you say so? I'll put on something decent" She smiled.

"Not so fast, love." Jack interrupted her with some hesitation, knowing full well the argument that would soon follow his next sentence. "I think maybe I should deal with him alone."

"Absolutely not." She said simply "I'm not leaving you alone with him." Elizabeth quickly rose from the bed, gathering her clothes from the floor.

"Darling, please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be." He said moving behind her and snaking his hands around her waist, one hand roaming toward her breasts, the other in a decidedly more southern direction.

Elizabeth gasped at the contact and dropped her things back to the floor "If you think you can distract me…" Jack continued moving his hand against her and she gasped again, stopping mid thought. _It wouldn't be the first time_, Jack thought to himself.

Jack whispered hotly in her ear "I'm just going to go see what he wants, and I'll be back before you know it. I promise."

"Jack…I…really…" She could barely get a word out as Jack slipped a finger inside her. "Jack," She said again, breathlessly as he teased her.

"I'm right here love" He said pressing his lips to her neck, her ear, her cheek. She was melting beneath his touch like he hoped she would. Her breathing quickly grew heavier and her ability to stand was decreasing as Jack moved his hand down to join the other. She leaned back against him, surrendering to him completely. Satisfied that he'd quelled any urge of hers to follow him, he turned her in his arms and kissed her greedily. "You're cruel" She whispered to him.

"I'll be back soon" He whispered back to her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and leaving Elizabeth to stare dumbly after him.

—

Jack entered the hold with two rum bottles and a lantern. Barbossa sat calmly at the back of his cell with his hat over his eyes. Approaching the bars, Jack pulled out the keys to the brig and unlocked the cell.

"It's about damn time" Barbossa chided as he removed his hat. "Oh, and you've brought me something to drink. How very kind of you."

"Just hurry up would you?" Jack muttered as Barbossa hurried to a standing position.

"You couldn't have at least explained to the wench why I put that bullet in your chest?" Barbossa said as Jack handed him the other bottle of rum.

"She doesn't need to know why." Jack said as Barbossa passed him. Jack closed the cell door behind him.

"You don't think she'll find it the least bit curious that you've released me?" Barbossa asked as Jack turned back to face him.

"I'll deal with Elizabeth. I need you tell me what happened after you shot me." Jack asked hurriedly.

"Not until you tell me what is going on here, Jack."

"I can't."

"You have me risk life and limb to keep the Spanish away from Shipwreck cove, only to find you've brought Elizabeth directly into the fray."

"I had to." Jack answered, obviously hiding something.

"What kind of deal did you make this time? What did you promise them?" Barbossa asked.

"I'd rather not say."

"Fine. Don't tell me. But I will not be following you to the grave, not this time, not over another chest."

"Then, please just tell me what you know." Jack pleaded desperately.

"They weren't fooled by your little ploy. They believe you to know where the chest is and how to open it, and suspect you will do whatever you can to protect its location. But I'd wager you still don't know where the chest is, do you?"

Jack shook his head.

"And the lot of you hope to find it before they do?"

Jack nodded.

"It's a fool's errand to keep sailing north, Jack. This whole coast is Spanish settlements. There's no escaping them. If you don't intend on fulfilling your end of the bargain, they will kill you. Or worse, they'll use her to get to you."

"They'll have to catch us first."

"Shouldn't be too difficult with an entire armada against you. If I were you, Jack, I'd turn this ship around and sail home."

"I'm afraid It's too late for that." Jack said, knowing Elizabeth would never turn tail and run, especially since they had real purpose in finding the chest.

"Is it true about the prophecy?" Barbossa asked.

Jack was so surprised by the question it took everything in his power not to flinch. He didn't want to give off the faintest hint he knew what Hector was talking about. It was the most quiet Barbossa had ever seen Jack.

"It's Elizabeth isn't it?" Barbossa asked

Jack stayed silent.

Barbossa shook his head "Honestly, Jack. There's no reason not to tell her what's happening. If she's in danger…"

"I've got everything under control"

"Don't be an idiot, Jack."

"Why are you so concerned?"

"Because, yet again, we face the threat of an all powerful aristocrat, and I'm concerned that you are thinking with everything but your head.

"I'll admit, a lot of pieces need to fall in just the right places for everything to turn out in the end, but I've never been more confident in my ability to make it happen."

Barbossa sighed, giving in to his naive acquaintance. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Do you think you can stomach a few more months aboard?"

"I suppose"

"Then I need you to stow away down here. When we get to Peru, follow closely behind in case the Spanish are on our trail."

"Aye, but I really think you should probably fill the lass in. I don't think I can afford another punch to the face."

Jack laughed. "I'm not sure I can afford her reaction should I tell her the truth. Just stay out of sight until the opportune moment."

Barbossa shook his head and mumbled "Aye" as he slunk passed Jack toward the rum cellar.


	18. Another Deal With the Devil

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the delay (insert a myriad of excuses here). I'm really going to try and update more frequently. I really mean it this time. Thank you all for reading, and sticking with me. Cheers!

**Another Deal with the Devil**

It would have been difficult to explain to Elizabeth every minute detail that had led to his arrival at shipwreck cove, Jack thought as he lowered the empty longboat into the water. Better to lie about sending Barbossa off in a dinghy than have her scream at him for keeping so many secrets from her. It's not as if there were that many, really, but there were a good deal more than she'd like, he assumed.

The sky was turning to an inky black, as clouds started covering every inch of sky. It would rain soon. Thunder rumbled low in the distance, sending a shiver up Jack's spine.

The sudden change in weather made Jack uneasy. Nothing good ever came from lying to Elizabeth Swann. Jack stared up at the sky as a giant droplet of water came crashing down on his forehead. He loosed the longboat from the line, letting it drop into the water below. As a few more drops landed on the railing, he watched the longboat disappear into the blackness.

He turned and headed back toward his cabin, ignoring the strange look Gibbs was giving him from the helm.

"Orders, Cap'n?" He hollered as the rain began to pour down in steady sheets

"All hands, keep her straight, and try not to sink her." Jack said before walking through the door.

Jack shut the door and shook the water from his hat. He hung his coat over the back of a chair and sauntered slowly toward the desk. He glanced at the side cabin. Elizabeth had fallen asleep after all. Sitting himself down, he uncorked a nearby bottle of rum and took a deep pull relieved that, at this particular moment, she was asleep. His face would certainly give him away, and he'd have no choice but to tell her everything. But it wasn't the opportune moment.

The strange map they'd been given was spread out before him, making about as much sense as it always had. It taunted him. The fact that they couldn't read the map only made his guilt intensify, made it that much harder to look her in the eye, made his decisions all the more difficult. He hadn't meant for it to happen this way. And like always when he was left alone with his thoughts, the past came rushing back as he tried to retrace his steps and figure a way out of yet another Jack Sparrow predicament.

_Tortuga, After the fountain..._

The faithful bride was brimming with excitement. Men and women spilled in and out of the building. It was an unusually busy night as several merchant ships had come to take part in Tortuga's tariff free trade and night time frivolities. In the corner of the tavern with a wench on each arm, Jack Sparrow was deeply engrossed in a lavish tale of his adventure to the fountain of youth and how he single handedly defeated the British and Spanish Navies and chased Hector Barbossa away from eternal life. Without firing a single shot. The small crowd that had gathered around his table, fawned over his story telling and bought him copious amounts of rum in order to hear more. It was well past twilight when Jack decided it was time to head back to the ship. A little wobbly legged, he made his way into the alley humming to himself. "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me." He took a few more steps, trying desperately to keep his footing. "Blasted woman." He stumbled and caught himself on a nearby wall. Taking a moment to steady himself, he started humming the song again.

"Such a lovely tune. Perhaps you can sing it to my crew?" A grumbly voice called to him from the dark alleyway.

"Another time, mate. I can barely stand on my own two feet." Jack muttered as he straightened up.

"Like taking candy from a baby." The man muttered and gave a loud whistle. Two large men came from the darkness. One kicked Jack's legs out from under him while the other scooped him up by the arm. Jack made an attempt to break free, but was far too inebriated to put up a real fight. "Don't struggle Señor Sparrow. This will go much better for you if you just cooperate." Jack made one more attempt to break free, and one of the men struck the back of his head with the butt of his gun, rendering him unconscious.

The two grabbed him by the arms and drug him toward a ship well concealed at the end of the harbor. As they made their way up the gangplank, Jack regained consciousness momentarily. His head felt heavy and his sight blurred. He tried to crane his head ever so slightly to take in his surroundings without being noticed. The muscles in his neck ached and throbbed as he struggled to make out the words on the side of the ship. El Neptuno. Jack racked his brain trying to remember just when and where he'd seen that name before he lost consciousness again.

A boot to the ribcage woke Jack violently. Cursing under his breath, he tried to get to his feet, but soon found his hands and feet were bound behind him. Another swift kick to his midsection knocked the wind out of him.

"There's no need for you to move, Señor Sparrow." A brooding captain stood tall above him. A small mustache barely hid a scar that ran from his upper lip to below his jawline. If you saw the man from a distance, he would look every bit the part of a refined Spanish Naval Captain, but closer examination would reveal a roughened and damaged man. A man with nothing to lose. A desperate man.

"It's Captain Sparrow, if you please." Jack coughed back at the man, spitting blood onto the wood.

"Yes, Captain Sparrow. I've heard much and more about you and your adventures." The man said, circling Jack.

"Have you? And yet I know nothing of who you are." Jack stared as if he was trying to see through the man in order to see his secrets.

"Who I am is of little importance, but what I am capable of is another matter entirely. It is my understanding you were present at the fountain of youth."

"I don't think that was me." Jack responded cooly.

"Oh, I think it was. My king and commander described you in great detail, and you were not so shy about your involvement earlier this evening. You had the entire tavern hanging on your every word."

Jack shifted uncomfortably.

"Fear not. Your involvement with the fountain is of little concern to me. That kind of magic is an abomination to God, or so my king would have us believe. However, there is other magic in this world that is much more intriguing."

"Are you certain your king would approve of such inquiries?" Jack mocked him.

"If you succeed in helping me find what I'm looking for, I won't need a king."

"What makes you think I'll help you?" Jack asked forcefully.

A large man came from the shadows and held a knife tightly against Jack's throat.

"Lucius will see that you do exactly as I say." The captain grinned.

"He is very convincing." Jack managed to squeak out.

"You are familiar with Blackbeard, yes?"

"I do recall."

"Then you know he was bestowed with certain powers?"

"I know his sword held some magical ability, but that's as much as I know."

"Don't lie, Sparrow. There is tale of a chest, a magical chest that grants great power to whomever should open it. Surely your father must have told you the stories."

Jack's face dropped of all color. His father had told him a few stories, but Jack always assumed his father to be a liar.

"How do you know my father?" Jack asked hesitantly.

"Captain Teague Sparrow spent many years sailing the waters near Spain. His name is not unfamiliar to us. He caused quite an uproar when he stole your mother away."

"I can assure you whatever Teague told you of this chest is nothing but codswallop."

"Don't be so naive, Señor. You of all people should know there is truth in every legend. Only, your father hasn't told you the whole truth. There is an ancient prophecy that tells of a king. A king of beggars and thieves. Brought to power by the very men they betrayed, this king is said to be the only one able to open the chest and wield all of its power."

Jack blinked, it was enough of a reaction that it did not go unnoticed by his Spanish Captors.

"Ah, so you know who it is, then?"

Jack attempted to feign ignorance and gave him no answer. Stammering he asked, "What is it that you want of me?"

"Bring me the chest and the girl, and I won't kill you."

"What girl?" Jack asked innocently.

The man holding the knife to his throat pressed down harder, causing blood to trickle down his skin.

"Jack, don't play games with us. We want the pirate king. So you will bring her to me, or, I promise you, your death will be quite slow and unpleasant." The Captain sneered.

"What happens to her?"

"She will gift me with absolute power."

"And if she doesn't?"

"I'll spare you the gruesome details, Sparrow. Just do what I asked."

"Where exactly would I bring her?"

"Don't worry about that. I have eyes and ears all over. So I will always be watching." The captain said.

"Should I succeed, and she does what you ask, could I persuade you to restore my ship to its former glory? Seems only fair."

The captain gave him a sly smile as Jack was knocked unconscious for the second time that day.

He woke to a black boot nudging him persistently in the alley between two taverns.

"May I help you?" Jack asked exasperated as he tried to sit himself up. His hands were still bound behind him, making movement difficult.

"As a matter of fact you can" Hector Barbossa sneered before grabbing Jack by the shoulders, bringing him to his feet. Barbossa quickly produced a small knife from his belt.

"I hope my death isn't the help you were requiring?" Jack asked, slightly nervous.

Barbossa turned Jack around and sliced the rope around his wrists. "Thank ye, mate" Jack said rubbing his wrists.

"Should I even ask what happened?" Barbossa asked with a half smirk.

"Do you really want to know?" Jack retorted.

"No. I suppose I don't" Barbossa laughed.

"What can I do for you?" Jack asked, trying to stretch his stiffened body.

"How about you buy me a drink, and we can talk?" Barbossa suggested.

"You know all the right ways to seduce me, Hector." Sarcasm dripped from Jack's mouth.

"Shut up and get moving. I don't want to regret not sticking that knife somewhere else."

They both laughed as they headed back into the faithful bride.

"Perhaps we should find a more secluded spot?" Jack suggested as he searched the tavern, nervously checking over his shoulder.

"Someone after you, Sparrow?" Barbossa chuckled. "Again?"

Jack gave him a stern look and rolled his eyes. "I just think it best we don't attract much attention."

It was Barbossa's turn to roll his eyes, "Fine"

Jack lead them to a tavern on the edge of town. Secluded was one way of describing it, but practically abandoned and condemned would have been a more appropriate description. As they walked in, the door swung open wildly. It was hanging, barely attached, by a single hinge. The dim room was empty save for a few unsavory gentleman sitting at the bar who turned and grunted at the sound made by the wild door. A grotesque woman, wiry red hair, fat in the middle and missing a few teeth emerged from a back store room carrying a few crates of rum.

"What is it you want?" She grunted. "Oh, Jack Sparrow, is that you? You want your usual table?" She asked, suddenly shedding her gruff demeanor.

"If it would please you, Maggie, I need a bit of privacy." He said under his breath. She looked at him askance.

"Not that kind of privacy" Barbossa chimed in.

"To each his own. Follow me."

Maggie led the two men through a curtain at the back of the tavern. A long hallway stretched for what seemed like an eternity. It was slightly crooked with various paintings from all over the world, more than likely stolen, each one decaying and tattered. At the end of the hallway stood another rickety door that opened to a large flat expanse that dropped off into the ocean. Completely secluded from the rest of the island, a few tables sat looking over the cliff toward the horizon.

"Thanks, Maggie. Two bottles of your finest and that will be all." Jack said politely as he offered a chair to Barbossa. He took the chair, eyeing Jack suspiciously. Jack followed suit.

Maggie turned and left after giving Jack a curt nod.

"I thought I knew every inch of this island inside and out." Barbossa said, leaning back and taking a look around. "Quite the view."

"One thing I've learned over the years: Always have an ace up your sleeve, whatever the situation."

Maggie emerged with two bottles and two mugs, setting them on the table and heading back the way she came.

"That's a lot of aces to have."

"It helps to stack the deck" Jack said as he poured himself a mug of rum. "You were saying something about needing my assistance?" He handed the bottle to Hector.

Hector took the bottle and poured. He took a long pull from the mug and wiped his hand across his mouth.

"Well, I'll get right to the matter. The Revenge is naught but a normal pirate vessel. Seems whatever spell bewitched that sword has worn off."

"How am I to help you with this bit of bad luck?" Jack asked, feigning interest. Lazily, he leaned forward and took a sip of his drink.

"I want the pearl back." Barbossa said nonchalantly.

Jack choked on his rum. "You can't be serious?" He asked astonished. "Why not just keep the revenge? She's a good ship." He waved his hand, dismissing him.

"Yes, but she's not my ship." Barbossa said pointedly.

"Well, neither is the Pearl, so I fail to see how I am of any help. Did you really expect that I would just give it to you?"

"It was worth a shot." They both shared a chuckle.

"It's no matter. The Pearl's still stuck inside of a bottle. She's about as useful as your good for nothing sword, probably less than."

"That is unfortunate. I would have thought you'd figure out a way to free her by now. Well, I suppose I'll just head back to my ship and leave you to sort out your own troubles." Hector made to leave but Jack interrupted him quickly.

"As luck would have it, I do think I might have a solution that could benefit the both of us."

Barbossa rolled his eyes and sat back down. "Alright, Sparrow. I'm all ears."

Jack paused meaningfully and took a deep pull from his mug, never taking his eyes off of Hector as he wiped the rum from his mouth.

"Would you spit it out already" Hector blurted out, annoyed.

"Well…There's a chest…"


	19. Anywhere but Shipwreck Cove

A/N: So we are still in the past and will be for one more chapter after this. Then we will return to our present adventure. Thank you all for reading. Reviews are welcome.

**Anywhere but Shipwreck Cove**

_Tortuga, After the fountain..._

It didn't take much convincing on Jack's part for Barbossa to join him in his search for the chest. They set sail almost immediately. Of course, a few minor details had been omitted. But, Jack thought, if they could find the chest, free The Pearl, and Restore The Queen Anne's Revenge to her former glory, without the Spanish finding out, he would be free and clear. Though, there was still the matter of Elizabeth's part in all of this, but in typical Jack Sparrow fashion, he decided to cross that bridge when he came to it.

Barbossa stood at the helm of the Revenge as the sun rose above the silken waters. Jack sauntered up the quarter deck steps, humming happily.

"You're in a fine mood." Barbossa glared at Jack.

"It's a fair wind. How many days until we reach Cuba?" Jack asked.

"I'd wager two, but there's a storm headed straight for us. We'll need get to land before it gets to us."

"Afraid to get wet?" Jack mocked him.

"I've lost my taste for storms." Barbossa added pointedly.

"Fair enough." Jack said with a smirk.

"You're certain this old friend of Teague's is going to know where to find the chest?" Barbossa asked skeptically. "It's a bit of a risk making our presence known in Havana. The Spanish pose just as much of a threat to us as the British.

"Hector, this new cautious side of yours doesn't suit you at all, but Havana is the best place I know to start. This man was the one who first told old Teague the story of the chest, he must know something of value." Jack shrugged.

"Why don't we just use that blasted compass of yours to find the chest?"

"I require more information. The compass prefers it if I'm a little more specific these days" Jack said hurriedly.

Barbossa eyed him suspiciously. "Perhaps Shipwreck Cove would be a better place to start?"

"Teague only knows second hand information. I would think it better to go to the source, don't you? Besides, as you said, there's a storm coming. Wouldn't want to get caught in the middle of it on our way there, now would we?" Jack added avoiding Barbossa's gaze.

"You're not trying to avoid a certain Pirate King, are ye Jack?" Barbossa pressed.

"Absolutely not! How utterly ridiculous of you to suggest such a thing." Jack walked away from him "If I were a sensitive man, I'd be offended" he added with a hand over his heart.

"I'm just trying to gauge where your head is at, boy. It is suspect enough that you've so willingly agreed to my Captaincy on this voyage, but I'm not about to put my life on the line for that strumpet again. She's got the Dutchman protecting her now, no need to drag us into any more of her perils."

"Show a little respect, mate." Jack said darkly, as he turned back toward Barbossa "This has nothing to do with her."

Barbossa barked a hearty laugh and handed the wheel over to Jack. "This venture may have nothing to do with her, but she most certainly has you safely in her pocket." He continued laughing down the steps.

"I hate that man." Jack said to himself as he turned the wheel.

—-

Two days later, unaffected by the storm and with the Revenge docked safely on the outer edge of the harbor, they made their way through the streets of Havana. Jack was on high alert, taking every precaution not to be seen. Under cover of darkness, such a feat was more achievable, but nevertheless, his gaze was trained firmly over his shoulder as they darted through alley ways leading them inland. Barbossa merely chuckled next to him.

"We wouldn't have to sneak about if we had just gone to Shipwreck Cove." Barbossa whispered

"Shh." Jack put a finger over his lips. "We're here."

Havana in recent decades had become a prosperous Spanish port. Densely populated and highly developed, the area was as refined, if not more so, as Port Royal. However, on the outskirts of town there was a dark underbelly of poverty that went untouched by the governing bodies. It was here that Jack intended to find the man he was looking for. Just ahead of them stood a rundown building. Two stories tall, the shutters on the windows were barely attached, and the front door was nailed shut and barricaded by old furniture and crates.

"It would appear he doesn't want any visitors" Barbossa grunted.

"We'll go through the window." Jack's eyes were deadly serious as he stared at the top story of the building.

Before Barbossa could argue, Jack was shimmying up a drain pipe on the neighboring building. Reaching out, he grabbed the railing of the balcony and pulled himself up. Jack leaned over and waved for Barbossa to follow him. "Come on" he whispered loudly.

"Are you mad?" he whispered back.

"Usually. Now, get your ass moving, old man" Jack said, prying a plank of wood off of the balcony railing and laying it over the gap between buildings.

Grumbling to himself, Hector rather ungracefully started to climb the pipe. Making a slow climb up, he mumbled under his breath as he pulled himself on to the balcony "I hate him."

"Took you long enough, aye? Come on tout suite, across you go." Jack said pushing him toward the plank.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Barbossa asked, looking back over his shoulder at Jack.

"I'll not have you pushing me to my death while my back is turned. You're going first." Jack resumed his pushing.

Barbossa rolled his eyes and on shaky foot crossed to the other side. Jack followed suit and, light as cat, landed next to Barbossa. Barbossa leaned against the railing arms folded, staring at Jack.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Jack asked.

"Your turn. Go ahead." Barbossa said, indicating the window, leading into the top floor. "He's not my acquaintance."

Jack rolled his eyes and headed to the window. Kneeling down, he pulled out a small knife to pry open the window. Barbossa leaned next to him "If I wanted to kill you, Jack, I would just kill you." Jack tensed noticeably and opened the window. "But, quite frankly, I need ye. So don't fret." Barbossa chuckled. Jack returned his laugh with squinted eyes.

Sword drawn, Jack entered the room. It was mostly empty save for a trunk, a worn mattress, and a few books strewn about the floor. The door leading to the hallway was cracked open, a small bit of light was leaking in from the first floor. Jack slowly opened the door and creeped out into the hallway. Barbossa followed close behind him. A faint plucking of a guitar could be heard shortly followed by the cry of a baby. Jack and Barbossa looked at each other in surprise.

"You brought us to the wrong house" Barbossa grabbed Jack by the coat.

"It's the right house. I'm sure of it. Put me down!" Jack growled at him. Just then Jack felt cold metal against his temple.

"Drop your weapons." A voice behind them demanded. Jack and Barbossa dropped their swords immediately. Barbossa moved to grab his pistol, but the sound of a second pistol cocking paused his movements. "I have my eye on you too, señor. Turn around slowly and state your business here." The voice said.

Jack made a slow circle, hands raised in the air, and faced his accuser. "Maria? It's me, Pequeno Gorrion." Jack pleaded with a big smile on his face.

"Little Sparrow? No. Imposible. Little Sparrow was a skinny little boy always chasing the island girls." Barbossa let out a small snicker behind him. "This Sparrow is all grown up and taking after his no good father." The woman lowered the pistol and let out the biggest laugh as she pulled Jack into a hug. "It has been too long, Gorrion. I heard you were dead."

"I was." Jack responded. Maria turned and headed down the hallway. Lighting a lantern, she beckoned for Jack and Barbossa to follow her.

"I heard it was a woman who was responsible." She said teasingly.

"It was." Barbossa chimed in. Jack gave Barbossa a steel look.

Maria shook her head and laughed. "Love: A terrible weakness to have."

"Couldn't agree with you more." Barbossa added.

"Who's your friend, Jack?" Maria asked as they walked down the stairs to the first floor.

"Captain Hector Barbossa; miscreant and scalawag. Also happens to be my associate. Maria Castillo; daughter of Ricardo Castillo. We were children together." Jack finished. Hector gave a curt nod of the head. "Speaking of the old codger. Where is he?"

"You have not heard? My father passed on a few years ago." She said with a sad smile.

"I'm so sorry, Maria."

"There is nothing to be sorry for. He was an old man and he was very ill."

Maria led them into the front room. There were candles lit all over, giving it a dim amber glow. In the center of the room were three large armchairs and a table in the middle of them. Next to one of the chairs was a small bassinet. Inside was a gurgling, cooing bundle. Maria sat next to it, rocking it slightly, and gestured for the other men to sit.

"Yours?" Jack asked as he sat down, indicating the bassinet.

"Yes" She stated simply and resolutely. Jack knew not to press further. "So, what brings you here, Sparrow? You've not come around her since your mother passed."

"Yes, well, some wounds are harder to heal to than others." He paused briefly before getting back to the point "I'm in need of information" Jack said.

"What kind of information?" Maria said, eyebrows raised.

"There's a story Teague used to tell me. Heard it from your father, he said. It concerns the origins of Blackbeard and his sword. Do you know it?" Jack asked.

"I'm afraid I can't help you." Maria said sincerely. "My father told me only foolish stories of princesses from far away lands, and the princes who whisked them away. "

"Any belongings I could peruse? Maybe he left something behind?"

"Anything of value was sold. Everything else we burned for warmth. These are trying times, Jack. The world is at war. Everyone wants a piece of the new world, but only crumbs are left for us."

"Is there anything I can do? I can take you somewhere, anywhere you'd like to go."

"Where would I go? There's nowhere left. I have my own little piece of happiness here" She said indicating the bassinet. "You'd do well to find your own." She stood "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you"

"That's quite all right, love. It was good to see you again" He said, giving her a hug.

"It was good to meet you, Hector." Thunder rumbled overhead.

"Likewise" He turned to Jack. "We best be heading out as it appears we need to go to Shipwreck Cove after all, and the storm has arrived." He said turning to go up the stairs.

"Take care of yourself, Jack. Find a nice girl and settle down." She said cupping his cheek.

"You too, take care of yourself, I mean." He said handing her a sack of coins.

"Jack, I can't…" She looked down at the bag in her hands.

"You will, and I'll hear nothing more of it, savvy?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek and followed Barbossa's path back out to the balcony.

"Well that was a waste of time" Barbossa barked at Jack as he came through the window. "We could be halfway to Shipwreck Cove by now."

"Sorry, mate. I didn't know." Jack said sadly as the rain began to fall.

Barbossa just grunted at him and climbed back down the pipe to the street, and the two men returned to the Revenge in silence

—

Maria returned to her sitting room. A figure emerged from the shadows behind the bassinet, holding a baby. The tall, dark man adorned with strange markings put a hand on her shoulder.

"I did as you asked" She said. "I told them nothing. They'll have no choice but to return to Shipwreck Cove. Now give me back son!"


	20. Down to the Depths

**Down to the Depths**

_Aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge…_

The rain was coming down in torrents. The waves were wild, pitching the ship from side to side as the wind whipped across the deck. Barbossa had changed their course to Shipwreck Cove, and the storm was baring down on them quickly. Barking orders at the crew over the howling wind, he glared at Jack. "Are ye going to just stand there?" He asked Jack, visibly irritated by their current situation.

Jack stood near the stern railing staring back at the city shrinking into the distance. Something didn't seem right to him, but he wasn't about to voice his concerns. He turned to face Barbossa who was focused on the burning sea in front of him. "Looks like things are well covered from my vantage point" Jack said as he stepped to the side of Hector.

"Get your ass up the main mast and drop the top sail" Barbossa screamed at him. "Since it was your brilliant planning that got us caught up in this infernal weather."

"As you command," Jack said with a bow "Captain" He added with a bite before he headed toward the mast.

After a few hours of difficult sailing they were able to make their way out of the storm. As Jack jumped down to the main deck, a voice rang out from the crow's nest "Captain! We've got company. Behind us!"

Jack ran up the quarter deck to the stern. Barbossa stood with his spyglass trained on a trailing ship.

"Colors?" Jack asked impatiently, squinting into the distance.

"Spanish." Barbossa said as he snapped the spyglass shut. Jack winced visibly. "Any particular reason why the Spanish would be following us?" Barbossa rounded on Jack.

Jack threw his hands up in the air. "No idea, mate." He wasn't about to tell Barbossa of his dealings, not now anyway.

"What are you not telling me?" Barbossa asked, reaching for his pistol.

"It's possible that the Spanish are also looking for this particular chest, and they employed me to find it for them."

"In exchange for?"

"My life."

"Doesn't explain why they're following us."

"Well, they either are keeping a safe distance, ensuring I do what was asked, or they hope to follow us to Shipwreck Cove and get the information straight from the source. Either way would lead them straight to Shipwreck Cove, endangering our safe haven.

"Give me one good reason not to shoot you right now."

Jack's eyes lit up as the thought struck him, and grinned at Barbossa. "What an excellent idea!"

"What are you on about, Sparrow?"

"I need you to kill me"

"With pleasure" Barbossa said moving the pistol up to Jack's forehead.

"Wait!" Jack put up his hands "I need you to kill me at the opportune moment."

"And when might that be?"

"After we let them catch up to us."

"Are you mad?"

"Quite possibly, but I might also be a genius."

"Alright, I'll bite. Explain." He said lowering his pistol.

"We can't very well lead them straight to Shipwreck Cove"

"Obviously."

"And the Revenge isn't fast enough to outrun them, so, as I see it, we only have one option." Jack pulled a letter from inside his coat bearing the seal of the Pirate King.

"What's that?" Barbossa asked of the letter

"Our illustrious King instructed me to deliver this letter to her bonny undead husband" Jack said matter of factly.

"So?"

"So, as the ship approaches, they'll see the two of us arguing. You do what you've been dying to do for years and ensure I make it into the water. You'll let them take you captive, and since they've just bore witness to my murder at your hands, they'll assume you have no loyalties to me and will try to extract whatever information they can. Of course you won't have any for them, and while the lot of you are treating with each other, you will gather any information you can and get yourself to safety. I'll come to find you as soon as I can and we can resume our search."

"How do you plan to accomplish all of this as a dead man?"

"Mate, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow…and Will owes me one." Jack said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Well, far be it from me to deny a man his dying wish. Just say the word and I'll happily send you to your watery end."

Jack clapped his hands "Wonderful".

Barbossa signaled his crew to slow the ship down.

While they waited for the other ship to catch up to them Barbossa fiddled with his pistol making sure all was in order "So, Jack, how would you like to go?" he asked.

"As quickly and painlessly as possible." Jack said stiffening slightly, staring at his finger nails.

"I have to say I'm surprised you're so willing to forego your miserable existence. When we rescued you from the locker you seemed rather adamant on staying out of the afterlife. It's a bit of long shot, don't you think? You can't guarantee Turner even has the means to return you to the land of the living."

"It's a risk I have to take." He said quietly.

"For her?" Barbossa asked knowingly.

Jack looked down "We can't let them get to the cove."

Barbossa chuckled to himself. "How you ever managed to survive all of these years, I'll never understand. Although, I suppose Elizabeth managed to get the best of you didn't she?"

"Alright, it's time." Jack said picking up a canon ball and ignoring Barbossa's comments.

"Do you want I should hang on to the Pearl for ye, just in case?" Barbossa asked slyly.

"Out of the question." Jack said clutching his satchel possessively.

"Very well. Good luck, Jack" Barbossa said, almost sincerely.

"You too." Jack paused "One last request?"

"Aye"

"No matter what happens, Elizabeth is never to know about any of this."

"As you wish, Sparrow." He said with a shrug and aimed his pistol at Jack's heart. Yelling a few obscenities, Barbossa cocked the pistol and fired, sending Jack into the dark abyss below. "I hope this works, Sparrow." He whispered to himself as he watched Jack's body sink beneath the waves.

A crewman yelled behind him "They're signaling to board, Captain"

Hector turned, "Aye, let them on."

—

Jack's lifeless body continued to sink further and further toward the ocean floor. When he finally reached the seabed, a small pulse echoed across the sand. Within a few moments Captain William Turner stood at the feet of his old acquaintance with a perplexed look on his face. He made note of the two ships above him and slowly bent down toward Jack. With just the touch of his hand, the two were instantly transported to the deck of the Flying Dutchman. Jack came to with a raucous cough, spitting out a rather large amount of seawater.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise." Will said amused. "What the hell happened to you, Jack?"

"Barbossa." Jack said, getting to his feet, still catching his breath. "He's been after the Pearl for a while now. I let my guard down and gave him the opportunity he needed to take me out of the equation." Jack added, hoping that Will's new station didn't grant him the power to know he was lying.

"You've no manner of luck at all." Will chuckled.

"Tell me about it. I love what you've done with the place" Jack said taking a look around the ship. "So, what happens next?" he asked.

"I ferry your soul to the afterlife."

"That's it. You're not going to ask me to be on your crew?"

"The Dutchman already has a captain." He smiled cheekily. "It's not a very long trip. It's actually quite peaceful."

"Is there rum?" Jack asked hopefully.

Will just laughed and sent him below deck. Jack walked slowly down the steps into the hold and made his way to the galley. He sat down and pulled Elizabeth's letter from his coat and set it on the table in front of him. _I hope whatever is in this letter doesn't turn Turner all tentacle-y_, Jack mused.

A few moments later Will came through the galley doors with a bottle of rum in his hand. Setting it on the table, he sat down across from Jack. "So, why are you really here, Jack?"

"I told you, mate."

"While I have no doubt that Barbossa was the one who so kindly sent you to me, I'm loathe to think you would ever let him get the better of you a second time unless you had a plan. So, I'll ask you again; what are you doing here, Jack?" Will said with a smile. He was eerily calm, but Jack could see he was tired. Maybe tired wasn't the way to describe it. The living are tired, Will was…something else.

Jack looked at the letter in his hands for a brief moment, still nervous that whatever words Elizabeth had written would make a mess of his whole plan. But he had to give it to him, or death was an idea much more permanent than he intended it to be. "I'm here because of this." Jack said, handing Will the letter.

"What's this?" Will asked confused, taking the letter from Jack.

As will noticed the seal, Jack answered. "Elizabeth asked me to deliver this to you. Barbossa was only a means to an end wherein I fulfill my promise to your wife and Barbossa thinks he's finally bested Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Thinks?" Will asked with his eyebrow cocked.

"Well" Jack shifted nervously "I had rather hoped that you would find in your heart…er…that you'd be so kind as to repay me forsavingyourlife" The last words came out in a jumbled mess, and Jack stared hopefully at Will Turner.

Will stared dumbly at Jack for a moment, letting it the words sink in. Before giving Jack an answer he asked quietly, slightly nervous "What does the letter say?"

"I was not privy to its contents. I'm just the messenger. Though, I think reading it would be the best way to find out." Jack said with such a sincere tone that took Will by surprise.

Will opened the letter in front of Jack and began to read

_My dearest Will,_

_This last year has been the most difficult of my life. I miss you more than you could possibly imagine. Some days I can't breathe knowing that I won't see your face. Ten years. It is a high price to be paid indeed. The purpose is pure again, but it is a cruel punishment._

_There's so much that I want to say, need to say, but I don't have much time to say it, nor do I know how to get the words out correctly. I've faced cursed pirates and defeated a naval fleet, but now that I need to face you, my courage has abandoned me. I was with child, Will. Our own little creation growing inside me. A piece of you to hold onto until you returned to me. But I wasn't strong enough and I think he knew. He knew I wasn't ready to be a mother, he could tell that I wasn't certain if I wanted him. But I did want him. I wanted him because I wanted you, but it wasn't enough. I was ill. I was ill and I lost him. If Jack hadn't been with me, I would have died along with him._

_I'm so sorry, Will. I'm so sorry for everything. Some days I think fate was always trying to tear us apart, teasing happiness and ripping it away. Other days I know the fault was my own. My need to find a place in this world, to find a purpose, did its own damage. I'm still searching for that purpose, for happiness, trying to fill the empty space where my heart used to be. I think I'm close to finding it, but I don't know._

_I will always love you. You have to know that. But I need to chart the next course of my life without any attachments. I need to be truly free. I hope you understand my intention is not to hurt you. I don't want you to end up like Jones. I will be there for you in ten years just like I promised, but I think it best for both of us if we are no longer held prisoner by the vows we made half crazed in the heat of battle, never knowing what was to befall us._

_I'm so sorry,_

_Elizabeth_

Will read the letter three times before folding it and putting it in his coat. Jack looked at him expectantly, but Will said nothing. He stared ahead blankly for what seemed like an eternity before he stood up and stormed out of the galley. Jack winced as the door slammed.

"Damn." He said laying his forehead on the table.

A few hours later, Bootstrap Bill Turner entered the galley. Jack was startled out of his musings of coming to terms with his failure.

"Captain Turner would like to see you" He said stiffly.

"So this is it then?" Jack asked, but received no response.

It was a terribly long walk to the Captain's quarters. Dreary and cold, it was worse than his walk to the gallows all those years ago. They reached the door and Bootstrap gave a quick knock.

"Send him in" He heard from the other side. Jack couldn't gauge his tone. It was very unsettling.

When he entered the room Will stood with his back to him. The door shut quickly behind Jack making him jump slightly.

"You were with Elizabeth when it happened?" He asked solemnly. For a moment Jack wasn't sure what he was talking about, but the memories came rushing back quickly.

"I was. We were sailing to Singapore, but I didn't know. She didn't tell anyone. I wouldn't have let her come, if I'd known." Jack said with a hint of anger, not at Will, but at Elizabeth.

"As if you could stop Elizabeth from doing anything" Will said with a sad smirk, turning to face Jack. "Thank you. I'm glad she didn't have to go through it alone."

Jack shifted nervously, still unsure what was about to happen to him. "Your welcome."

Will walked slowly to his desk. "I need you to give this to Elizabeth." He said, picking up a sealed letter and handing it to Jack.

Jack looked surprised. "Does that mean?"

"Yes, consider my debt to you repaid." Will said with a wide smile.

Jack nearly jumped out of his skin "You're a gem, mate. Thank ye." Jack said shaking Will's hand.

Will clutched his hand for a second with a deathly grip. Growing serious, he said, "Take good care of her, Jack. If any harm comes to her, it will be on your head."

"Of course" Jack said just as serious.

Dropping his defenses, Will gave Jack's shoulder a slap and the two shared an awkward laugh.

"So, should I drop you off at the cove?" Will asked much more relaxed than he'd been since Jack came aboard.

"Tortuga. I've got a bit of business to take care of."

"As you wish." Will said.

The next thing Jack knew he was knee deep in water, the shore of Tortuga just ahead of him and the city behind it. He took a look behind him and smiled before trudging through the sand to the road ahead.

It was a short walk down the road to the Faithful Bride. As he passed the docks, he noticed a familiar ship in the harbor. _The Red Devil? What's Teague doing here?_ He thought to himself.

Upon entering the tavern, he took a quick look around and located Teague sharing a drink with a vivacious looking wench in the shadows. Jack carefully made his way over to their table without being noticed and pulled up a chair next to his father who was leaning in to steal a kiss from his female companion.

"Mind if I join you?" Jack asked flagging down the bar maid.

Teague paused and slowly turned his head toward Jack. "What are you doing here, boy?" Teague was certainly surprised to see Jack. He and Elizabeth had all but given up hope that he was still among the living, but Teague gave no indication of that fact.

"I could ask you the same question. Aren't you supposed to be advising our beloved king back at the cove?" Jack snagged a mug from the bar maids tray and tossed her a few coins.

"Elizabeth sent me for supplies." Teague replied gruffly.

"Is she one of them?" Jack indicated the woman "Seems an odd request, even for Elizabeth." Jack smiled widely at his father and took a sip from his mug.

"Weren't you supposed to return to the cove six months ago?" Teague attempted to change the subject.

"Has it been that long?" He pondered thoughtfully. "I was, but an unforeseen circumstance arose that I needed to address." Jack said matter of fact.

"What was her name?" Teague goaded.

"How dare you assume it was a woman? For your information, there were a few particulars that were brought to my attention that required completion before I could find the fountain."

"And who brought these particulars, to your attention, Jackie?" Teague asked skeptically.

"I don't really think that matters, does it?" Jack mumbled as he turned his head away.

"That's because it was, in fact, a woman" Teague said to the lady next to him. "You'll have to excuse us, Marie, I need to have a chat with my son. Perhaps I'll see you the next time I return to Tortuga." He grabbed her hand and kissed it gently. Marie giggled and blushed before excusing herself from the table and heading toward the back stairs of the tavern.

"She seems nice." Jack added after she left.

"So, did you find it?" Teague asked with impatience, disregarding Jack's appraisal.

"Find what?" Jack feigned ignorance.

"The fountain, you nit wit."

"Aye, that I did, but that's not all I found. Do you remember Angelica?"

Teague smiled mischievously as he stared into the distance. "Aye, she was a pretty one"

Disgusted, Jack continued, "Yes, well, guess who her father is?" Teague's eyes widened for a moment before Jack corrected him. "Don't worry, she's not yours. She belongs to Edward Teach, or should I say the former Captain Edward Teach, since he's dead now."

"Blackbeard's dead? How did someone manage to accomplish that?"

"You mean how did I accomplish that? The fountain houses a nefarious bit of liquid. For eternal life, one must sacrifice the life of another."

"You're not telling me that you're immortal, are you?"

"Sadly, no. Blackbeard intended on sacrificing Angelica, and you know my honest streak." Teague nodded. "But she did try to kill me, so I stranded her on a very nice spit of land off the coast of Madagascar."

Teague laughed. "I'm guessing you have the Revenge, then?"

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "No, Barbossa has her. He was kind enough not to maroon me with Angelica and dropped me off here." He said with an affirmative nod, satisfied with his lie. "I had planned to commandeer a ship, but since you're here, could I hitch a ride back to Shipwreck Cove with you?"

"I suppose it's possible. The king will be wanting to know your safe. She's been frightful worried, lately. Almost as unbearable as when she first showed up in the Cove." Teague said taking a sip of his own mug.

"Is that so? Well, I'll leave you to whatever it is you were doing before." Jack said, standing up. He drained the rest of his drink and headed toward the door.

"We leave at dawn. Don't be late!" Teague called to Jack before he exited the tavern.

Jack turned and waved him off and headed toward the smithy. On his way, a drunken Gibbs stumbled into him.

"Jack! Where've you been?" He slurred at him. "One day we're having drinks and the next you up and disappeared. I feared the worst."

"Mister Gibbs, fear not, your fearless leader has returned. Your timing really couldn't be more perfect. I need you to do something for me."

"Of course, Captain, anything."

"I need you to find me a crew. Ten to twelve good men ought to do it. The tougher the better. I'm heading to Shipwreck cove with Teague in the morning and I'll be back as soon as I can. Can you accomplish this?"

"Aye, Cap'n." Gibbs answered with a dopey nod.

"Excellent. I'm off to the smithy." Jack gave him a pat on the back and continued up the road.

"What for?" Gibbs called after Jack.

"A little friendly persuasion." Jack called back, deeply hoping that if he could entice Elizabeth enough to come with him to search for the chest, having a little present waiting for her in Tortuga would only sweeten the deal that much more. The bigger problem was how he was going to keep her out of the hands of the Spanish once they departed. All in good time he thought to himself as he continued to saunter up the road.

Shipwreck Cove, The morning after the pub…

It was a few hours past dawn. Captain Teague sat in the great hall, plucking at his guitar, a plate of biscuits in front of him as per his usual morning routine. Jack, divested of his usual attire, entered the hall in just breeches and a shirt loosely tucked. He had a slight lift to his gait instead of the drunken swagger he normally carried.

"Good morning." Jack said cheerily.

"You were out late." Teague said emotionless.

"Information doesn't gather itself, you know? No sign of her majesty?"

"Not yet."

"She had quite an eventful evening." Jack chuckled.

"So I heard. Did you find what you were looking for?" Teague asked trying to contain his curiosity."

"A location, nothing more." There was a long silence before Jack spoke again. "At what point are you going to stop pretending you know nothing about this chest?"

"What do you mean?"

"I remember the stories you told me. Is it true about the prophecy?"

"What prophecy?"

"Don't play games with me, old man."

"Who told you of the prophecy?" He asked with grave seriousness

"It doesn't matter. Answer the question."

"It matters a great deal." Teague jumped out of his chair cornering his son. "Who is the chest really for?" Teague grunted, grasping Jack by his shirt.

Caught off guard by his father's reaction, Jack explained the whole story of what happened with the Spanish, still leaving out his encounter with Barbossa and the Flying Dutchman.

"You can't hand her over to them" Teague said solemnly, sitting back down at the table. "You know as well as anyone what they're capable of.

"You think I don't know that? I just need to get there before them with enough time to come up with a plan. At the very least they will believe I'm honoring our agreement in case they're following us."

"It's a risky venture. She'll kill you if she finds out."

"At least I know to expect it this time." Jack chuckled to himself while Teague merely shook his head.


	21. Elizabeth's Vision

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long departure from this story. Work has been busy. Haven't had much opportunities to sit down and write. I promise I haven't abandoned it. I have much of the story outlined. Hope you enjoy! Reviews are welcome and appreciated.

**Elizabeth's Vision**

When she opened her eyes, there was naught but blue skies in every direction. Elizabeth's breath caught as she realized she stood ankle deep in placid waters. There was no land in sight, there were no clouds, there was no breeze, but she felt no surge of panic. Oddly, she felt at peace. She dug her toes in to the sand and wiggled them around, savoring the softness. A smile crept upon her face. She lay herself down, letting the water lap over her, and closed her eyes. A dull echo resounded in her ears as she lie just under the surface and the sun shone high above her, breaking past the barrier of her closed eyelids and warming her. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so peaceful. Her ease was interrupted as a shadow crept over her face. She snapped her eyes open and a lone figure stood hovering over her. Squinting, she tried to make out the face, but the light of the sun kept the figure in shadow, unmoving. Elizabeth sat up slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements should she startle whoever stood before her. A familiar face started to come in to focus as she got to her knees.

"Mother?" Elizabeth closed her eyes and opened them again. The woman still in front of her. "How? Am I dead?" Elizabeth asked, suddenly frightened. Her fever dream had broken and she was aware of how strange her surroundings were, unable to remember just how she had gotten there.

"Elizabeth, dear, don't be frightened." The woman said reaching her hand to touch Elizabeth's face. "You're in the land between life and death. A meeting place for the living and the dead to communicate."

Elizabeth stood. "I don't understand. Why am I here? Why are you here?" She asked, confusion filling her brain with fog.

"You asked for help, did you not?" Elizabeth stared ahead, still not comprehending her situation. "With the map?"

Realization dawned on Elizabeth, and before her eyes her mother transformed into Calypso. The water disappeared around them and they were suddenly back in her cabin on The Red Devil.

"I should have known." Elizabeth said, getting to her feet.

"Yes, you should have. I hadn't expected I would need parlor tricks to get your attention."

Elizabeth was used to Tia Dalma's harsh tones, but stripped of her human form, the woman before her was lighter, almost teasing. Absent of accent she wasn't quite so intimidating, or maybe Calypso made it so just for her sake.

"A dream? Hardly one of your better tricks." Elizabeth bit back. "How was I to differentiate this from any other dream?"

"I thought you knew me better than that, Elizabeth Swann."

"Not well enough it would seem; however, well enough to know that you didn't need to disguise yourself." She paused and sat on the edge of her bed. "So, you're here to help?"

"It is so. Your former husband tells me you have a map that is undecipherable?"

"Yes. A man who calls himself Alewar gave it to us, after spouting off nonsense about Jack and I being chosen to save the greater good."

"Child, it is not nonsense. Well, perhaps the bit about Jack, but you, my dear, are of great importance."

"But why? I am no one special. I don't have any supernatural abilities. I am not a god."

"Perhaps not, but that does not mean you aren't destined for greatness. There is a warrior's fire inside you. Unquenchable. And it bleeds throughout you. After everything that you've been through, you still do not know?"

"Know what?"

"One day you will see, but I cannot be the one to show you. You must discover that for yourself. For now I will help you with your map. Let me see it." Calypso demanded with her hand out.

Elizabeth gave her a confused look, but quickly remembered where Calyspo had brought them and proceeded to head into the main cabin. She stopped short upon seeing Jack slumped over the map, apparently asleep. Elizabeth smirked and moved toward him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Jack, wake up. We have a guest." He didn't move. "Jack" She said louder shaking him slightly.

"He cannot hear you. You are asleep. I just need the map" Calypso said from the doorway.

"Oh." Elizabeth said drily and pulled the map out from underneath him. She lay it out over the table and gestured toward Calypso.

Calypso sauntered eloquently toward the table, almost floating. She peered over the map, and a thoughtful look flitted across her face as the ink swirled around nonsensically forming words or phrases.

"Yes, I see how this could be confusing to a mortal." Calypso said with a smirk.

"I'll try not to be offended by that remark." Elizabeth added with folded arms.

"This is only one half of what you need to read it. Does Jack still have his compass?"

"Yes, but it only points to…well it doesn't matter what it points to, but it's not pointing us in the right direction."

"There is more than one way to use that compass. Bring it to me."

Elizabeth did as commanded and pulled the compass from Jack's belt. He stirred slightly in his seat, muttering to himself. Elizabeth wondered if it was merely coincidence or if he could really feel her presence. For a moment she was tempted to hit him with something, but was soon interrupted.

"Quickly, child. I don't have all day." Calypso urged her.

Elizabeth hurried toward her and handed her the compass. Calypso took it from her and clutched it in her hand momentarily before opening it up and setting it down on the map.

"Seems a rather simple solution. Are you sure…?"

Elizabeth's doubts were quelled and her eyes widened as the ink swirled around the compass. All the intricate patterns that had occasionally popped out at her all at once had settled into an intricate design of a temple. Surrounding the temple was a lush jungle and a long path that led back toward the ocean. Words and phrases still littered the edges of the map, but none of them made much sense to her.

"I don't believe what I'm seeing." Elizabeth said finally after scrutinizing every detail.

"It's no easy task what you are supposing to undertake." Calypso said turning back to her. "There are many dangers on this road."

"But it's something I must do, is it not? Too late to turn back now and all that?" Elizabeth sighed.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't be prepared. You of all people should know the value of preparedness."

Elizabeth chuckled to herself. "Yes, I suppose you're right. So, we're to travel all that distance by foot?"

"I'm sure there are horses you might find in a coastal town, or a canoe you can fashion to take you upriver. You are resourceful, as is Jack. But I must warn you, Elizabeth. Be very careful about who you put your trust in. While I myself don't succumb to irrational paranoia, you'd do well to stay alert. There are betrayers and mutineers all around you. Perhaps closer than you think." Calypso made a gesture toward Jack so small that Elizabeth hardly noticed it, but it was enough to plant a seed of doubt in her mind.

"Who, then, should I trust? Should I even trust this foolhardy endeavor? Or Alewar? Or you?"

"The guardians are a mysterious lot, I'll grant you, but they are good intentioned and they need you. Trust your instincts, Elizabeth." Calypso placed a palm on Elizabeth's cheek. "You were chosen for a reason." Calypso paused, unsure if she should inform Elizabeth of the path she was destined for. With a deep sigh she continued, "You fulfill an ancient prophecy."

"Beg your pardon?"

"A long time ago, when gods and monsters freely roamed the earth, there was great battle for power. Good fought against evil, brother fought against brother, all for the sake of being the most powerful in the realm. And in the end, nothing was solved, the gods were stripped of all but a small sliver of the power we once contained, the world was left in ruins and like an explosion the remaining power spread throughout, hiding itself. A short time later, when mortal men took their claim over the earth, the God of Chaos with his last remaining shred of life chose a mortal man and bestowed upon him, the ability to seek this power out. He wreaked havoc all over the world, conquering entire civilizations, imprisoning innocent people, and threatening the very fabric of existence. That is, until another mortal challenged him. A mortal from humble beginnings, but had the makings of a great warrior. He stumbled upon the chest, the one you seek, and opened it. The war did not last long, but the evil was defeated and the power restored to its resting place. Soon after, the challenger sacrificed himself so as not to be tempted, and all otherworldly magic lay dormant for a time. Such sorcery still exists in the world, the chest you are after contains the most powerful. It cannot be opened by just anyone, and those who have tried since have been unable to wield its enormity without corruption or death. There are many men searching for this power and others like it."

"Yes, Alewar said the Spanish are after it."

"Yes, but that isn't the whole story. It is you they require. After the war, it was prophesied that there would one day be a king of beggars, born on the salted seas, brought to power by the betrayed, who would be able to open the chest and control its powers should the world be in danger again. It is the guardians belief that you are that person, and they wish to have you fighting for the side of good in the wars to come."

"Wars to come?" Elizabeth asked in surprise.

"Power is only powerful when its existence is known. The more who are aware of its presence, the greater it grows, revealing itself to any who would wish to have it. A great battle is coming, that much is certain, but what side you land on, Ms. Swann, remains to be seen." Calypso grabbed Elizabeth by the shoulders and pushed her roughly against the table, "You must get to the temple, you must protect the chest!"

Elizabeth bolted upright in bed with a gasp, trying desperately to find her breath. Her hands clutched the sheet with white knuckles and sweat beaded down her forehead.

"What in the bloody hell just happened?" She said to herself breathlessly.

Quickly she got up from the bed and put on a pair of breeches from the floor, and rushed to the side cabin. She looked to the desk where Jack lay slumped over, and moved toward him. The map still in its place underneath him and the compass still in its place at his belt. Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose trying to recount everything Calypso had told her. Her mind was jumbled. 'Trust no one' she had said, 'protect the chest', something about a prophecy. She suddenly felt dizzy and headed to the main deck for air. Once outside, she took in a deep breath of the crisp air and felt the heat leaving her. Elizabeth made her way to the main mast and sat down, leaning up against it, wondering if Calypso was right. Could she really trust no one? Was Jack now suspect? Not that it would be that surprising really, she thought. What will happen to her when she finally reaches the temple? Where does Jack fit in all of this? How much should she tell him?

Elizabeth stayed against the mast for the remainder of the evening, ignoring the clouds the gathered over her, threatening rain and continued to mull over Calypso's words.

Their journey up to this point had already been lengthy and treacherous, but it soon became clear to Elizabeth that, for her, it was just beginning.


	22. Love: A Terrible Weakness

**Love: A Terrible Weakness**

Elizabeth sat against the mast for what seemed like hours. So consumed by her musings, she had no idea what time it was. She lifted her head toward the sky as rain drops started pelting her, but she didn't make a move. She continued to sit, staring up at the sliver of sky she could see in between the clouds. Could she really be at the center of some grand prophecy? Did the guardians expect her to open the chest and sacrifice herself? The questions flew around her mind like bats, but she ultimately decided to take a page out of Jack's book and save her worries for another day. For now, she just needed to get them to the temple, and to the chest before anyone else got their hands on it. Though, there was one thing still nagging her in the back of her mind. Was Jack keeping something from her? One moment she thought she had only imagined Calypso steal a glance at Jack, but the next—maybe it was a warning. Then why not come out with it?

Her heart was telling her to trust Jack, but her mind kept repeating Calypso's words "trust your instincts," and her instincts almost always told her to tread carefully when it came to Jack. A fact she had been most decidedly ignored as of late. Her thoughts were interrupted by Gibbs who stood over her with a concerned look on his face.

"You all right, Elizabeth?"

"Of course, why do you ask?" She asked sincerely befuddled.

"Well, you've been sitting out here in the rain for a few hours now with a mighty strange look on your face. I just thought I'd come over and make sure nothing was amiss."

Elizabeth stood and smiled at Mr. Gibbs. "I just happen to enjoy the rain is all. I assure you I am perfectly fine. No need to worry." She pat him on the shoulder and turned toward her cabin. After a few steps, she turned back to Mr. Gibbs who was heading back up to the helm. "Mr. Gibbs!" She called after him. He turned. "Could I ask you something?"

Gibbs looked from left to right unsure as to what information he could give to her. "Uh, well, sure."

Elizabeth was quiet for a few seconds before she opened her mouth. "Is Jack keeping anything from me?". Her voice was meek. It reminded Gibbs of when Elizabeth was just a young girl. Back then she often used that voice to get out of trouble with her father.

Gibbs nervously cleared his throat which didn't do much to quell her fears, and he quickly asked, "What makes you think he's hiding something from ye?" His nervous fidgeting only gave way to further suspicion.

"You don't have to tell me. I just need to know if I'm in any danger." She asked sincerely.

Gibbs answered back with just as much sincerity, "If Jack is hiding something, it is usually him that is in danger. Although, I don't think that is much help to you either, is it?"

"No, I suppose it isn't. Thank you Mr. Gibbs" She smiled sadly and turned back toward her cabin.

Gibbs called to her, "Whatever it is, don't be too hard on him. He's been a bit distracted lately." He winked at her and Elizabeth gave a weak smile in return.

When Elizabeth returned to the cabin, Jack was no longer asleep at the desk. In fact, he was not in the main cabin at all. Must have gone to bed, she thought. Probably for the best as she didn't know what she would say to him in this moment. She took her sopping wet coat and hung it over a nearby chair. She doffed her hat as well and set it on the table. She noticed the journal she had found back at the cove and picked it up. She opened it to a passage she had read once before and scanned the words written so beautifully on the page. There was something familiar about the writing that she just couldn't place. Elizabeth jumped slightly and dropped the book as two warm arms encircled her waist and lips pressed against the side of her face.

"Didn't mean to startle ye, love." Jack whispered in her ear "You're wet." He observed with a smile as he pressed his lips to her neck, trailing small kisses toward her jaw line.

"Yes, It's raining." She said turning in his arms to face him. She kept her eyes down, however, trained on her wringing hands, thinking of what she wanted to say next.

"Something the matter?" He said lifting her chin with his finger.

When she looked up at him, she lost all resolve and just smiled at him. Forever lost in his gaze, she wasn't ready to abandon her trust in him. Not yet, she told herself. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and on her tip toes planted a chaste kiss on his mouth. "No. Nothing is the matter." She lied, or perhaps in that moment she hadn't. Her recollection of the last 24 hours was temporarily clouded.

As Jack leaned in to claim her lips as his own, Elizabeth slipped out of his embrace and headed into the side cabin. She stopped in the doorway and turned back to his pouting face, "Are you going to join me?"

Jack held up his finger and looked to the door to the main deck and looked back to Elizabeth, and once more back to the door and once more back to Elizabeth. "Right." He decided as he followed Elizabeth to the side cabin.

In the next few moments, she let him take her to new heights of pleasure as they moved together. There were many thoughts that should have been battling for dominance in her mind, but her focus on Jack won out. One thing was certain: Jack was her weakness. He always had been.

Later, as they lay together, Elizabeth's head resting on his bare chest, she took note of the way his breathing turned ragged and they way he shivered every time she touched him. She giggled to herself as she continued to trace patterns over his abdomen.

"What's so funny?" He asked looking down at her.

"Nothing." She smiled as his torso tightened up when she drug her fingers lightly across.

"It's curious how amusing 'nothing' is, aye?" He said as he lightly ran his fingers up the middle of her back. Elizabeth let out a small gasp and arched her back. "I can elicit such reactions from you as well, love. If you want another go, all you have to do is ask."

She pushed herself up, one hand on either side of his chest, and stared him down. "I don't believe I do need to ask. A pirate never asks, she only takes." She said forcefully capturing his lips with her own. She pulled back before he could respond. "It's enough to know the effect I have on you." She smiled mischievously and climbed over him, deliberately lingering as she straddled him before climbing off of the bed.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back down to the bed, trapping her in his arms. "Where do you think you're going?"

"There is work to be done, Captain. We can't all just lay about in bed whenever we please." She snaked her arms around him.

"Ah, but you see, as Captain, I decide who needs to work and who doesn't. So…" He wriggled his eyebrows at her as he clutched her tightly to his chest. Elizabeth smiled before she pressed her lips to his chest.

"Could we just lay here?" She asked him so tentatively, he wasn't sure he heard her speak at all. Elizabeth was starting to feel as if something was coming to an end, and she wanted to soak in every beautiful moment before it slipped from her grasp. She held him tightly, burying her head deeper into his chest.

"Of course, love." He kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze. "Are you sure everything is all right? You seem a bit…distracted."

"I'm fine, everything is fine." She answered none too convincingly, and she scolded herself for being so transparent.

Jack gave her a strange look out of the corner of his eye, almost disapproving. "Really?" He asked her again. "You haven't asked what Barbossa had to say. And while I'd love to think I am solely responsible for distracting you from that information, I know you better."

"You're right. I completely forgot!" She sprung up quickly from the bed like a child at Christmas. "Well?" She said with a touch of impatience.

"Now hold on a minute. Don't change the subject. What's rattling around in that head of yours?"

Jack asked, having still not worked out the kinks of the lie he would need to tell her about Barbossa. _Why had he even brought it up?_ He cursed inwardly.

"I already told you, I'm fine. Now tell me what happened this instant?" Her tone frightened him and she glared at him with an all too familiar accusation in her stare. Does she suspect? Does she already know? He shook his head. It wasn't possible.

"Well, it was nothing too important. He didn't have much information that we didn't already know: the Spanish still don't have the chest and they're after me. Once he gave me that less than helpful bit of information, I let him go."

"You what?!"

"I gave him a longboat and told him to shove off." Jack answered nonchalantly.

"Have you gone completely mad? How could you let him go? After all that he's done to you?" Her frustration with him was oozing out of her. And the suspicions she had tried so hard to conceal were flooding back to her.

"In case you haven't noticed, Lizzie, we are in the middle of the ocean. The closest bit of land is days away in all directions. He'll be lucky if he reaches land at all"

"In case you forgot, Jack. The Spanish are following us. What if they pick him up? He could give us away, he could tell them about the map, and that we are headed to Peru.

"He wouldn't tell them anything. He doesn't really know anything." He said flippantly.

"It's not like it would have been very difficult for him to figure out. We barely escaped in Valdivia. A vague suspicion would be enough."

"My dear Lizzie" He added with slight condescension "While Barbossa has minimal loyalties to you and I, I can assure you he has even less for the Spanish."

_Was he talking down to her? _Elizabeth slammed her hands down on the bed in frustration. "You trust that? The man who put a bullet in your chest?"

"I trust you and you left me to die, shackled to my own ship" He said teasingly, turning toward her and running the back of his hand across her cheek.

"You're unbelievable!" She said brushing his hand away. She stood up from the bed and quickly threw on a crumpled shirt from the floor.

"Lizzie, wait!" He sprinted from the bed to catch up with her. Throwing on a pair of breeches on the way. She rounded on him as he was about to grab her arm.

"Have you no consideration for the people aboard this ship? For me? Is everything a farce to you?" She yelled, her voice piercing through his chest.

"Lizzie…" He said softly, trying to grab her hands.

"No." She pulled her hands away. "None of it matters to you. Jack Sparrow's plans, Jack Sparrow's precious bloody ship, Jack Sparrow's decisions, and to the depths with everyone else. Is that right?" She was fuming. Something was wrong. There was something more to her anger she wasn't telling him.

Jack opened his mouth but no words came forth. Elizabeth wasn't wrong. Everyone was at risk, none more than her, but it was more complicated this time. He couldn't tell her the truth. Not now, not while she was like this. _Coward, _he thought to himself.

"Say something, Jack. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me my faith in you has not been in vain. Please." She cried desperately.

He hung his head low and in the faintest whisper uttered the two most devastating words she thought she could hear. "I can't"

Elizabeth collapsed to her knees in tears. Jack carefully and slowly sunk to the ground and wrapped his arms around her shaking form. "I shouldn't have come" She said through muffled sobs. She didn't bother to shake free from his grip, she was utterly defeated. Her emotions were pulling her in every direction. Her mind was in disarray, and she could not fathom how to distinguish the truths from the lies. _I'm no savior, _she thought. _I'm no warrior._

"Lizzie, I'm sorry. I should have told you what I was planning to do with him" _Oh very good, let's keep lying to her. _"It was reckless. Please. You have to believe that I care about you, about your well-being. I won't let anything happen to you, I swear it."

_You already have, _she thought as she leaned her head into his chest. Elizabeth was now a part of some grand prophecy. It wasn't fair to accuse him of that, however. Perhaps Jack had made the mistake of dispatching Barbossa, but she chose not divulge to him her most recent nocturnal vignette. Who was the greater liar? But Calypso had said…

He interrupted her thoughts again, grabbing her by the chin and turning her face toward his. Gently wiping away a tear with his thumb, he examined her face. He was looking for a trace of…anything, her features were blank, her eyes were fathomless pits. "Is this what's been bothering you? Your trust in me has begun to falter?" He asked sincerely. The slightest hint of pain hidden in his last question.

She shifted her gaze to the floor. "I'm a fool, Jack. My judgement has always been questionable in matters concerning you. For some reason, I believe every word you say as if it were gospel. And while there have been times when I've been right to follow you to hell and back, when you've allowed yourself to be truthful, there have also been great disappointments, times when you have manipulated me in every sense of the word to benefit your own desires. I'm scared to death that none of this has been real. I'm sorry" She said finally as the tears slowly crept their way down her cheek. And it was the truth, she was more afraid that Jack had manipulated her feelings for him for his own gain, than the truth he may or may not be keeping from her.

Jack put his hand to her cheek and turned her toward him once more. "Elizabeth, I am sorry for all of the lies I've told you, for all the lies I have yet to tell you. I'm a pirate, it's in our nature. You know that. But I swear to you, on the pearl, on my despicable life, I love you with every fiber of my being. I would never…" She pressed her lips to his, tears streaming down her face, and held on to him as tightly as if she were in danger of drowning. Jack ran his hands through her hair, trying to soothe her sobbing. The salt left a bitter after taste on his lips.

He should have told her everything in that moment. It would have been easy. They could figure out a plan together…but she would not see it that way. It would just be another disappointment. So instead he just held her. Cradled her the same way he did on that terrible day in Singapore until she calmed down.

"You should get some sleep." He whispered to her. She nodded, disentangled herself from his embrace and wiped the tears from her face. He helped her to stand and led her to the bed. She looked at him questioningly when he did not get in beside her. "I'm going to check on things out on deck, but I'll be in soon." He cupped her face in his palm and kissed her cheek. She grabbed him by the neck and pulled him down to capture his mouth in a short but tender kiss. He pulled back with a weak smile. "I love you too" She whispered. Jack smiled a bit wider and headed out the door. After he left, Elizabeth threw the covers over her head and let the tears flow freely before falling into a rather restless sleep.

Hours later, Elizabeth woke to find Jack still had not returned to the cabin. Just as well, she thought.

She got up from the bed and located a pair of breeches from the floor. Once she was fully dressed, she noticed a piece of paper on her nightstand being held down by that infernal compass. She picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it.

_It has always pointed to you. _

She smiled, folded up the paper, and hid it in her pillow case for safe keeping. She grabbed the compass and headed into the main cabin. The map still spread over the desk, she sat down in front of it. With a deep sigh she opened the compass and watched it spin around once and settle in a direction that no doubt led to where Jack was currently. She closed the lid and shook it and closing her eyes tried to empty her mind of him and think only of the temple. She opened her eyes and set the compass down in the middle of the map. Slowly, she flipped the lid open and hundreds of tiny patterns of ink began to swirl around the object before creating the scene she had seen her dream. Relief and awe washed over, _it was real._ Her awe quickly turned to trepidation as she realized it was all _real. Calypso was telling the truth. _Her heart sank slightly as she stared at the door leading out on deck. Her heart sank because behind that door was man who she equally admired, loved, and, in this moment, feared.


	23. Confessions

**A/N: Apologies for taking so long to update. Thank you to all of those who have stuck around with this story, it has been a blast to write, and it's only going to get more interesting from here. Any and all feedback is welcome and encouraged. Enjoy!**

**Confessions**

Jack remained at the helm all night and for most of the next day. He needed time to think and he figured Elizabeth did as well. There was a decent chance she was still angry with him and he wanted to stay as far away from that cannon as possible. When Elizabeth was mad she was determined, and if she was determined enough she'd get the information out of him, he knew that well enough. Standing behind the helm of the Pearl used to give Jack all of the clarity he would need, but that was before Elizabeth fell into his life (or maybe she _had_ jumped that day Norrington proposed). Now everything was jumbled, and more than ever he just wanted to tell her the truth.

Gibbs was on the other side of the ship coiling ropes, all the while carefully studying his captain and friend. He had taken note of Jack's ragged appearance and lengthy stay at the helm and Elizabeth's rather curious absence from deck over the past day. Any problems they were having surely wouldn't bode well for the rest of the crew. Besides that, Gibbs cared very much for the two of them, so he made his way toward the seemingly troubled captain.

"Is there something wrong betwixt you and Miss Elizabeth, Captain?" Gibbs had asked Jack, approaching the helm.

"Nothing worth lamenting over" Jack answered drily.

"Perhaps it's none of my business and I should not say anything, but you should know she was asking me a lot of questions the other day. About what you're up to, If you're hiding anything. If it's true, I'm sure she would understand."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, mate, but thank you for your concern." Jack said staring straight ahead, really hoping Gibbs would stop pestering him.

"Forgive me, again, if I'm overstepping my bounds here, but if you are in fact keeping something from her, but are trying to appear as if nothing is amiss, avoidance is probably not the best method of keeping your secret. She's not stupid, Jack, and she's had more than enough experience in dealing with you. A little honesty could go a long way, aye." Gibbs said with an eager smile, hoping he had knocked even a fraction of sense into Jack. However it wasn't sense Jack needed, it was courage. "Also we are going to be nearing Peru soon, and someone should decide on where we are to anchor the Devil"

Just as Jack was about to open his mouth, Elizabeth appeared next to the two men, a map rolled up under her arm. "Jack may I have a word with you?" She asked softly.

Jack looked for a trace of anger or irritation, but her face was neutral, her tone was flat. Maybe everything was going to be all right. Maybe. "Of course, love. Gibbs, give us a moment, would you?"

"Aye Cap'n, I'll be below. Your majesty." Gibbs added giving a curt nod and a small smile to Elizabeth on his way down the steps.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, darlin'?" He asked, trying to keep the mood light

"Prove it." She said without a moment's hesitation. Elizabeth held her hand out, Jack's compass lying in her palm.

"Beg your pardon?" Jack asked, genuinely confused.

"You said it points to me. Prove it." Elizabeth stood firmly in front of him, hand still outstretched, tone still absent of anger

"Lizzie, I told you…"

"No more words. I want you to show me." She said matter of factly, cutting him off.

With a roll of his eyes, Jack grabbed the compass from her. "I find this to be rather silly, however I will comply because…"

She cut him off again, putting her hand over his mouth. "As I said before, no talking. Open the damn compass."

"As you wish, your highness" He said after she removed her hand, bowing very slightly. Jack opened the compass, the needle swung once to the left, once to the right, and settled, pointing directly in front of him.

Elizabeth peered over the compass and cracked a smile, seemingly pleased with its resting place. "Satisfied?" Jack asked amusedly.

"Nearly." Elizabeth set down the map as she moved to circle Jack, staying close and peering over his shoulder as she moved around him. The needle followed her actions closely.

Jack cocked an eyebrow as she faced him once more. "Well?"

Elizabeth grabbed Jack's face and captured his lips in a long and sensual kiss. As Jack responded eagerly, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jack in turn wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly to him. When they finally broke the kiss, Jack rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry." Elizabeth said quietly.

"For what, love?" Jack asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. For a moment she just stared into his eyes, smiling. Jack was beginning to wonder if she was not a bit touched. She'd been acting so strangely as of late.

"I have to show you something" She said finally, slipping out of his grasp. Elizabeth dragged a barrel near the railing to the helm, and lay out the map for Jack. "I was able to chart the rest of our journey to the temple."

Astonished, impressed, perplexed, were only a few of the many reactions running through Jack's mind. He finally settled on astonished. "How were you able to manage this? We don't know the location of the temple."

Elizabeth smiled nervously, or maybe it was mischievously. Jack couldn't tell. Neither boded well.

"I haven't been entirely honest with you, Jack." She almost chuckled as the words left her mouth.

"Oh?" Jack asked with suspicion. "How's that?"

Beneath the map Elizabeth had rolled out, was the map Alewar had given them. Elizabeth spent the majority of the time in her cabin deciding whether or not tell Jack of the map or of her dream. Calypso had been pretty specific about Elizabeth keeping it to herself, but she found it increasingly difficult to justify keeping it from Jack. No matter what Calypso said about trusting him, the fact remained that she irrefutably loved him. So she decided that if the compass behaved the way Jack said it did, she would tell him everything.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Jack asked with a smirk. The map was blank as it had always been.

"Patience." She said with a smile. Elizabeth took the compass from Jack and clutched it tightly in her hands. She closed her eyes, set the compass on the map, and opened it. As the ink began to swirl around the compass, forming the images that had become so familiar to Elizabeth, Jack stared in awe.

"How long has it been doing that?" He asked, never taking his eyes off of the map, amazed at the detail.

"A few days."

"A few days?" He asked, not accusingly, but almost hurt.

"I wanted to tell you sooner, but…well…the next bit gets a mite complicated" She stared off, taking a long pause before continuing.

Jack reached his hand to her face and turned it to face him. "What is it, Lizzie?"

"Calypso. She came to me in a dream…" Elizabeth went on to explain the whole ordeal in great detail, all the way down to Calypso's warning about Jack. He tried very hard not show any emotion as she mentioned that, but thankfully she was looking down at her hands purposely avoiding his gaze, so Elizabeth wouldn't have noticed either way. Was this his moment? Should he tell her now? Here she was feeling guilty for keeping information from him, and he wasn't going to be man enough to tell her the truth he was keeping from her? It was humorous, though, he had to admit. They were so alike, save for that honesty bit. She rarely held anything back, and if she did, it certainly didn't last long. But as expected, Jack's cowardice won out…again. If he could get out of this without her ever knowing he promised to give her over to the Spanish, he would consider his life a great success. So instead he gave a small chuckle and comforted her, wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss on the side of her face.

"Lizzie, love, I promise everything is going to be all right. We'll find the temple, you'll tell the guardians they can shove it because you will _not_ be sacrificing yourself for them, we'll stop those mental Spanish ingrates, and then we can go home. With any luck, aboard the Black Pearl with the Devil in tow."

She gave a small smile. "I should have told you straightaway, you always manage to keep me calm." Jack gave her a look of disbelief and Elizabeth amended her statement. "Most of the time." She shrugged. "I don't know why I listened to Calypso."

"You can't fault Calypso. She has always been the jealous sort, and even more so has always had a softness in her heart for ol' Jack. Though I do have to admit it's a real blow to the ego, knowing I'm not as integral to this endeavor as you."

"Trust me, you are very integral to this endeavor." She said slyly, looking hungrily into his eyes. "Perhaps when we get the ship anchored," She started sliding her hands into his coat, "we could find a secluded spot on the beach," she slid her hands underneath his shirt, raking her fingers across his back and up his abdomen as he purred softly in response, "and reenact our night together on rum runner's island…the way it should have happened." She finished huskily, lips hovering inches from his own.

"What's stopping us from going below and taking care of that right now?" He asked with a strained voice.

Elizabeth disentangled herself from Jack, and dropped her seductive guise. "We will be anchoring in less than a day, we need to ready our supplies." She said nonchalantly as if she hadn't just thrown herself at him moments ago.

"Foul temptress" Jack murmured.

She smiled at him and returned to the map she was showing him earlier. "It's nearly 700km from the coast to the nearest town at the base of the mountain where the temple sits. That is a 10 day trek on foot. If we happen to find any horses along the way all the better, but we will need to bring plenty of food, clothing, tools to build shelter, weapons…"

"Rum."

"Yes, and rum. Everyone must be prepared. So why don't you get Gibbs up here while I ready the rest of the men? If everything is accomplished in a timely manner, then maybe we can reconsider your proposal."

"You strike a hard bargain, darling, but I accept." He leaned down to kiss her, pulling her into a deep and passionate embrace.

Elizabeth pulled away from him, trying to catch her breath "Go on, there's work to be done. I will not be seduced so easily." She smiled as she shoved him down the quarter deck steps.

By the next morning they could see the outline of land before them. Elizabeth suddenly grew anxious, she felt as if there was a cannon ball firmly placed in the pit of her stomach. They had everything readied in the long boats, they had decided who would stay on the ship, and who would venture with them to the temple, she had both maps, the compass, the journal that contained such wonderful information about the terrain and had always seemed to calm her or, at the very least, distract her, plenty of rum for Jack, but she couldn't shake the sense of foreboding hanging over them as they neared the shoreline.

She jumped slightly as Jack approached her from behind. He lay a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry love. It's just a chest, in an ancient temple, on top of a mountain, in the middle of a jungle, what could possibly happen?"

Elizabeth chuckled and leaned her head against his hand as Gibbs shouted from the helm "Drop anchor! Ready the longboats!"

Jack gave Elizabeth's shoulder a squeeze. "Time to go, love." He said sympathetically.

Elizabeth let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and nodded before heading toward one of the long boats.


	24. The Peruvian Coast and a Second Vision

**A/N: I took some liberties with the terrain in this chapter, so if any of you out there are Peruvian experts, my apologies. Thank you again to all of you who continue to stick around. I am forever grateful for your favorites, follows, reviews, and views. Side Note: This chapter is rated M, Proceed with Caution. **

**The Peruvian Coast and a Second Vision**

The coast of Peru was a never ending cliffside. Desert rock loomed high over the Devil as they neared the shoreline. There were very few coves in which to anchor, and most inlets were either too small or the surf too rough, threatening to smash the ship against the rocks. A few kilometers north there was a break in the cliffs. A small tree line led into a dense jungle and inland toward the mountains.

Elizabeth decided they should anchor the Devil a few clicks south of the break in order to throw off any would be followers, far enough from the break that it could be perceived Elizabeth and her crew had attempted climb up the cliffside. Once they made it to the beach, Elizabeth instructed Toby and Bennet to hide the longboats in a nearby cave hidden in the side of the cliff. The mysterious journal assisted her in finding that hiding spot. It had become an added appendage of hers as of late. At first she thought it a coincidence that they happened to be traveling in roughly the same direction as its author, but the more she read the more apparent it became that the author of the journal was following almost the exact same path. The entries never mentioned any names or coordinates, but always described the topography in great detail, almost poetically, and, occasionally, were accompanied by some beautiful sketches. So when she had laid eyes on the beach in front of her, she knew it to be true and knew precisely where to go next.

She wished she knew to whom it belonged and why they were traveling to the city. Perhaps it was the mortal Calypso had mentioned, perhaps it was Blackbeard, the curiosity burned inside her like an obsession. It was all she could think about, and she marched quickly and with purpose through the sand. The world was a blur around her and all she could focus on was getting to the temple. It was like a pulse, driving her forward. More than finding the chest, more than saving the world, Elizabeth wanted answers. Jack shook her from her musings as he ran to catch up with her.

"Are you trying to lose us, love?" He said grabbing her elbow.

"What? No." She stopped and looked back, realizing she was quite far ahead of everyone else "I was just lost in thought I guess."

"You were moving like you were possessed" He said with a laugh. "You feeling all right?" He asked running his hand up her arm to rest on her shoulder.

"I'm fine" She said with a shrug. Jack gave her a pointed look. "Honestly." She added. Elizabeth didn't think she should mention that she felt a pull on her body like a compass needle pulled to true north. It would only worry Jack, and she wasn't about to turn back now. They were too close. She needed to see this through.

"I think we should set up camp on the beach for the night. That way we can head into the jungle with a full day of sunlight." Jack shook her out of her musings once more.

"We can't campout here. If we're being followed, they'll see our campfire. We're too vulnerable out in the open." She said as worry clouded her features.

"A fire would be seen in the jungle as well, and perhaps by more violent eyes than just the Spanish. We're still several kilometers from the break." He tried to assure her.

"But…" She turned back toward the direction she as walking.

"Look" Jack interrupted, turning her attention toward him "We passed another cave awhile back, we can sleep there instead of out in the open. Should solve your fire problem. Not to mention it's been quite a long journey and I think the crew deserves a bit of a respite before we go head long into god knows what."

Elizabeth pondered his suggestion. She really wanted to keep moving, but she didn't want to explain why it almost pained her physically to stop moving. And he was right about the crew. She needed everyone to have their best foot forward as they made their way toward the temple. "Fine." She sighed, a small frown forming on her lips.

"Don't look so glum, love. Remember, you wanted to find a nice secluded part of the beach we could run away to." He winked at her and offered his arm to her.

"Do you think of nothing else?" She joked as she linked her arm in his.

"Might I remind you that you are the one who opened this Pandora's Box" He said, leading her back toward the others down the beach.

"How do you figure that?" She scoffed and let out a hearty laugh. Heartier than necessary as she attempted to cover up her discomfort as Jack pulled her away from the jungle.

"I was not the one who went all bleary eyed and seduced you while their wounds were being tended to."

"I don't recall it happening that way" She said with an air of haughtiness.

"Not surprising. You did have a fair bit of rum."

"Oh, please. It's not as if you had been hiding your affections, Jack. Your not so subtle hints were easy to pick up on." Suddenly, Elizabeth felt a calm take over her as they moved further away from jungle. _Curious_, She thought and stopped walking. She turned back toward the Jungle.

"What is it?" Jack asked perplexed by the interruption.

Ignoring the question, Elizabeth took a few steps back toward the tree line and immediately felt her entire being pulsing and pulling toward the jungle. She turned and stepped back toward Jack, and the feeling was gone. _Very Curious_.

"Lizzie?" Jack asked again.

"I thought I saw something," She linked her arm in his "but it was nothing." She answered.

Jack looked at her with a modicum of suspicion. "I think you've started to go a bit mad"

"Well, madness begets madness, and I learned from the best. Perhaps it's contagious." She giggled and leaned her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk.

When they reached the others, Jack began giving orders to the crew. A few were sent to look for firewood or, in their case, driftwood, others were sent to haul supplies to the cave. Bennet took it upon himself to scrounge up some fish for them to sup on while Gibbs got some kindling burning as he waited for the wood.

Elizabeth sat on the sand a few feet ahead of the cave and removed her boots, coat, and other effects. Leaning back on her elbows, she let the sun wash over her. Oddly enough, she felt at ease, and if her earlier walk was any indication, it was probably going to be the last day she would feel this way. She was going to make the most of it.

Jack had given his final orders when he noticed Elizabeth basking in the sunlight, toes buried in the sand. He gave a soft smile, thinking he must have done something magnificent in a past life to deserve such a woman as her. Certainly he hadn't done anything in his current life, he mused and sauntered his way toward her.

Standing over her, he cleared his throat. "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

She lifted her head up and smiled at him. He returned the smile as she reached for his hand and pulled him down onto the sand. "This could very well be the last bit of enjoyment we have for a while, best embrace it."

"Can't argue with that." He added as he removed his own boots and effects. He leaned back next to her and stared out over the water. "So do you plan to spend the entire day lying on the beach?"

Elizabeth reached over and handed a bottle of rum to Jack. "Is that going to be a problem?" She inquired.

"Decidedly not." He replied as he took the bottle from her hand and brought it to his lips. Jack set the bottle down next to him and lay back, pulling Elizabeth into his arms. "There is still the matter of finding a secluded bit of sand around here." He added.

"I haven't forgotten." Elizabeth chuckled.

"Good." Jack smiled and pulled her tightly against him.

Later that evening, after they had dined on a bounty of fish Bennett had caught, the crew gathered around the fire and shared stories of past voyages and ridiculous romps. There was much laughter and even more drinking as each man told a bit of his history. Jack told a slew of exciting tales, although Elizabeth was certain he fabricated a few of them. She sat back against the wall of the cave and enjoyed the entertainment before her. Elizabeth didn't have many stories to tell, and the ones she did were positively depressing. Thankfully she wasn't pressed to share. Before long, Gibbs was the only one spinning yarns. He'd had a full life of adventure as a pirate, as a naval man, and as a pirate again. He knew more about other pirates than he knew about himself.

With all of the focus on Gibbs, Jack decided to take this opportunity to pull Elizabeth away from the cave.

"Fancy a walk?" He held his hand out for her. She put her hand in his, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Your timing couldn't be better. I was starting to nod off during that last tale." She said facing him, both hands in his.

"I noticed. Shall we?" He said gesturing toward the beach.

"Lead the way, Captain." Elizabeth said following Jack out of the cave. Cat calls rang out into the night as they exited. Jack winced and Elizabeth merely shook her head. "They're children." She muttered as they continued to the shoreline.

It was a crystal clear evening. The moon was full, its reflection shown clear across the water. The stars blanketed the sky in streaks of white as if they'd been painted there. It was the perfect night.

Barefooted, they walked the beach hand in hand, letting the water lap over their feet, neither speaking much. Elizabeth was stuck in her own head thinking about what was to come while Jack was too busy staring at Elizabeth, thinking about how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. Especially when her face contorted and eyebrows furrowed whenever she was deep in thought. A small habit she never knew existed, but he had always loved about her. Quite frankly there wasn't much he didn't love about her.

Jack was out of his depth with Elizabeth. For so long he thought her a passing fancy, an unattainable infatuation. It never crossed his mind that he'd been in love with her from the start. He couldn't say for certain that he'd ever really been in love before, but now…he was certain. It was almost overpowering, as if the thought paralyzed him. It took all of his strength not to muck it up and to be good enough for her.

Elizabeth noticed his stares out of the corner of her eye and turned toward Jack. "What?" She asked with a light hearted accusation.

Jack stopped walking and pulled Elizabeth toward him. Cupping her face in his hands he whispered with grave seriousness "I just can't seem to pry my gaze from you. You have bewitched me, body and soul."

Elizabeth stared at him dumbfounded, "Oh, Jack," She whispered before kissing him deeply. She broke away momentarily, catching her breath. "I'll wager there's bevy of women who have fallen prey to such words from those lips." She concentrated squarely on his mouth and captured his lips fiercely, possessively.

He broke away "No doubt." He leaned back toward her, taking control of the kiss, pulling her tightly against him as she made to escape his grasp. He released her mouth again, "but I can assure you, I've only meant them once." He said running his thumb across her lips.

"If I hadn't been courted by so many suitors, I'd be inclined to believe you, Captain Sparrow, but I cannot be wooed so easily." She said straightening up and pushing Jack at arms length.

"Is that so?" Jack asked, eyebrow raised.

"I'm afraid it is." She said with mock seriousness.

"How, pray tell, does one _woo _PirateKing Elizabeth Swann?" He asked lifting his hand to caress the side of her face.

"It shouldn't be too difficult to discern. Will was able to do it rather effortlessly." She said with a giggle, knowing the rise she would get out of Jack.

"Ah, I see." Jack paused thoughtfully for a moment before lifting Elizabeth over his shoulder and carrying her further out into the water.

"Jack Sparrow, don't you dare!" She screamed at him, playfully hitting at his backside as he kept walking further and further until the water reached just above his knees.

"Are you going to punish me, Ms. Swann?" He asked.

"I'll do more than that." She answered more seductively than threatening.

"Good" Jack said quickly before tossing her into the ocean.

There wasn't a very strong tide at this part of the beach, so Elizabeth stayed submerged and took advantage of the surrounding darkness. Swimming toward Jack, she grabbed at his ankle, pulling him off balance and into the water. She came up for breath as Jack splashed about in front of her. Regaining his footing, he stood authoritatively before her, "You are in awfully big trouble, Ms. Swann"

Elizabeth responded, splashing water in his face, "It's King Swann!" and attempted to make a run for it.

She didn't get very far before Jack caught up with her. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back down into the water. She broke the surface, laughing hysterically. Unable to regain her footing, she laughed wildly as a small wave broke and knocked her over. Elizabeth couldn't remember the last time she felt so carefree. Jack stood in the water watching her, feeling a similar delight. His chest aching with…joy? _Could a person ache with joy?_ He asked himself.

When Elizabeth was finally able to stand, she locked eyes with Jack who just stood before her with a very big smile plastered to his face. They each stayed unmoving, just staring at one another, communicating with hardly anything more than a smile. In an instant Elizabeth broke the standoff and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him passionately. Jack tried to maintain his balance and wrapped his arms underneath her, holding her in place, but the two fell into the water and giggled like children as a wave crashed over them. Elizabeth laid on top of Jack near the shoreline while waves continued to crash over them, the two staring dumbly into each other's eyes.

"Perhaps we should move someplace dry?" He asked her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"If we must" She sighed.

Jack led her to a formation of rocks a bit further down the beach that peered over the water. The topmost rock was flat creating the perfect surface to lay about and high enough that the waves breaking against it only left a light mist falling around them. Jack had collected some wood along the way and started a suitable fire to warm them. Elizabeth was leaning on her elbows watching with pride as Jack expertly created the flame. The skill had impressed her before when they were stranded on the rum runner's isle. She remembered how safe he made her feel in such a hopeless situation. He had always been protective of her, she realized. Though most of the time he was getting her into some precarious situation or another, at least he made sure he was the one to get her out of them.

Satisfied with the size of the fire, Jack joined Elizabeth, leaning over her, his dreadlocks dripping water onto her face.

"I beg your pardon, but I thought we were attempting to dry off?" She playfully swiped at his hair.

"We are. So how about we get ourselves out of these wet clothes, aye?" He asked running his finger from the side of her face to the waist band of her breeches.

"If we must" She answered again, nonplussed.

Jack smirked at her lack of response and deftly slid her breeches down her thighs, his fingers trailing behind, softly gliding against her bare skin. Once removed he lay them out next to the fire and quickly returned his attention back to Elizabeth.

"Better?" He asked, kneeling at her feet.

"A little." She said coyly.

"I have just the thing." Jack slowly kissed his way from her feet to the highest point of her inner thigh, skipping over her most delicate center and kissing his way back down the other side. Elizabeth ached for him to touch her, but he continued to tease, trying to elicit a response from her otherwise stoic body. She tried to resist, to continue playing the game, but she was failing miserably, and he knew it. Taking great joy in this pleasurable torture, Jack ran his hands over her thighs and toward her abdomen, tracing delicate patterns with his fingers while pulling her shirt up over her head. Elizabeth lifted her head in assistance, and was soon completely bare before him. Literally and figuratively. He kissed the side of her face, and trailed further kisses along her neck, shoulder, and down to her chest, capturing her nipple between his teeth ever so lightly. She gasped beneath his every touch. Jack moved away and began removing his clothes, laying them out with the same care as he did hers. As he knelt in front of the fire, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him from behind, holding herself against him as tightly as she could, trying to soak in the warmth emanating from his body. She rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered hotly against his ear, "You should know, I've always been yours." It was true, whether she acknowledged it back then or not. Jack had captured her from the moment she'd laid eyes on him.

Jack turned to face Elizabeth, sitting in front of her. Fingers sliding through her wet tendrils of hair, he pulled her face toward his and kissed her fiercely, desperately. He'd planned to torture her more, to bring her to the edge before giving her what she wanted, but she shattered those plans with only a few words. He gently ran his hands up her sides, exploring every inch of her. With strong arms, he lifted her onto him and she gasped his name as she clung to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, capturing his mouth fully, moaning as he pulsed inside of her. Slowly he guided her movements against him. Tormentingly slow. She urged to go faster, but his grip on her tightened and he slowed her movements. He wanted to savor this moment for as long as humanly possible.

Their lips never parted. If one were to pass by, it would be difficult to discern where one ended and the other began. They were in perfect rhythm, moving like a breath, or the tide. Eventually she broke their kiss and placed her hand upon Jack's chest, pushing him down on his back. All control was lost as she straddled him. Gripping her buttocks he pulled her against him. Her movements quickened, and Jack grunted gutturally, "Oh god, Lizzie." He was getting close, and Elizabeth showed no signs of slowing. He slid one hand from her buttocks and pressed his thumb against her center. Elizabeth practically yelped. He continued gently rubbing small circles against her as she moved faster and faster. Hot fire burned inside both of them as they reached their end, tiny parks exploding around them as they collapsed into a steaming heap of bodies on the rock. Jack turned on his side and pulled Elizabeth toward him, still reveling in the feeling of her surrounding him, he whispered to her softly "_You_ should know I've never loved anyone as I have you."

They lay tangled up in each other for some time when Elizabeth noticed the fire starting to die down. "We should probably head back to the cave. The sun will be up soon." She said sitting up

"Maybe we should forget the whole affair." Jack grabbed her hand and held it against his lips, speaking to her between feather light kisses "Let's get back on the Devil and head to Singapore, or maybe we can find a bit of treasure further north?" Jack suggested semi-seriously.

Elizabeth cupped the side of his face "As tempting as that sounds, you know we can't. For whatever reason, I have to do this. I can feel it. It's difficult to explain." Elizabeth stared back toward the jungle thankful for the few hours of reprieve from the stress she'd been feeling.

"No explanation necessary. The clothes are dry, we can head back whenever you want." Jack was gentler in this moment than Elizabeth could ever recall Jack being. It was as if she stripped him of all his defenses and all pretenses over the course of the evening.

Elizabeth smiled warmly at him, resting her hand on his leg. "Come, we should go." She retrieved their clothes from the fire and dropped Jack's clothes on his lap. Each of them dressed and climbed down the rocks toward the sand. Elizabeth started walking ahead of Jack back toward the cave.

"Lizzie, wait." He called out to her. Elizabeth turned to find Jack still standing near the rocks, shifting nervously, looking as if he had something to confess.

Elizabeth's heart began to beat furiously in her chest. There _was_ something he'd been hiding. She waited with bated breath for the words he was about to utter.

"I don't rightly know how to do this properly. I'm not very practiced with feelings. What is usually an eloquent vocabulary has turned to mush as I try to express exactly what I mean to express….here…to you…" Jack paused.

He was rambling. Why was he rambling? Elizabeth thought nervously. It must be very bad indeed.

Jack turned toward the rock, fumbling with something in his hand.

"Jack, what is it?" Elizabeth couldn't hold her tongue much longer.

Jack turned back around and stepped closer to her. "I'd been waiting for the opportune moment and I figured this is as good a time as any." Jack grabbed her hand. "I'd be lying to you if I said I haven't loved you from the start. Everyday since I met you, I've been enthralled with you. You turned my world upside down, quite literally. I never would have imagined you felt the same, but here you stand. I'm either incredibly lucky, or something else entirely. I have no idea what awaits us tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, but I do know that if you're not at my side, it will not be a life worth living. I cannot promise an easy life, and I can almost guarantee I will infuriate you on more than one occasion, but I promise, no matter what, I will love you."

Elizabeth stood in shock at the words spewing forth from his lips. "Jack, What are you saying?"

"Elizabeth, Lizzie, I…will you…?" Jack stammered, placing a ring in her palm. Eyes wide, Elizabeth quickly cut him off and jumped into his arms. Tears streaming down her face she began to pepper his face with kisses, elated that it was not as she had feared. "I'll take that as a yes?" Jack asked as she continued to cling to him.

"Seriously?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I just want to hear the word, love." He whispered in her ear.

"Well, I see no other reasonable option. It's a fine match, indeed." She joked.

"If you're not careful, I'll toss ye back in the sea." He grunted, holding her closely.

"Please don't, it would ruin this beautiful moment." She kissed him softly. "I am ever so in love with you, Jack Sparrow."

Jack grabbed the ring from her hand and placed it on her finger. "If you'd like, we could jump back on the Devil and have done with it right now." He suggested with juvenile enthusiasm.

"No." Elizabeth answered with a laugh.

"No?" Jack asked confused.

"No. I've been down this road before. A hasty marriage while our lives are at steak. Last time it left me without a husband and I don't think my luck has improved much. I will not have that again. I will not lose you too." She said candidly.

"Fair enough." He said grabbing her hand and leading her back toward the cave. They walked for a little ways before Jack spoke again, "Seeing as how you're the resident expert on such things, as far as proposals go, that wasn't so bad was it?"

"What exactly are you implying?" She huffed at him.

"Well, you have been proposed to several times. I merely wanted to know how I stack up against the others."

"You're insufferable." She pulled her hand from his grasp and started to walk ahead of him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him.

"But I'm yours" He whispered before capturing her in another kiss.

By the time they made it back to the cave, everyone had long since passed out, except for Toby who had watch for the night. He tipped his hat toward the two and gave Elizabeth a wink as they passed him. Gibbs had set out some blankets for them in the front of the cave, and Elizabeth and Jack nestled in, falling asleep rather quickly.

A few hours later, Jack awoke to some strange sounds in the distance. No one else had stirred. Wrapping his arm tighter around Elizabeth, he passed it off as some kind of wild animal and fell back asleep.

Another hour had passed and Jack heard the sounds again, closer and louder than before. Waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he reached for Elizabeth in order to wake her, but she was gone. He quietly called out for her. "Elizabeth" No answer. "Lizzie". Silence.

He looked toward the mouth of the cave and silhouetted by the hauntingly purple sky was Elizabeth, standing completely still. Jack crept closer to her, calling out her name, but she didn't move, didn't flinch. The noises from outside grew louder and louder still. When he made his way around to face her, she made no acknowledgement that he was standing in front of her. Her eyes were coal black and she continued to stare passed him out toward the ocean. He began to shake her, calling out her name. "Elizabeth! Lizzie! What is going on?!" She never moved. He attempted to grab her hand when he noticed liquid pooling around her feet. Blood was dripping from a large gash in her hand. Suddenly a blood curdling cry came screeching the jungle. Jack ran frantically out of the cave, trying to locate the source of the scream. A trail of blood and several sets of tracks led into the jungle. "Toby!" He screamed and ran toward the trees. "Toby!" He screamed again, and all sounds had ceased. There was no sound of waves crashing upon the sand, no birds chirping or cawing in the distance, and no wind to speak of. It was dead silent. Immediately he ran back toward Elizabeth. Shaking her again, he screamed "Where's Toby?! Elizabeth, what happened to Toby? Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth woke with a start, sweat beading down her forehead. _That was odd_, she thought to herself. Jack stirred slightly next to her and wrapped his arm tightly around her midsection. Unable to fall back asleep, Elizabeth stared out at the horizon as the sun began to rise slowly over the water.

As she lay there awake, Gibbs burst forth into the cave. "Wake up you scoundrels! Look alive. Toby has gone missing!"

All the men started frantically gathering their things, and loading their weapons. Elizabeth immediately got to her feet and ran over to Gibbs, grabbing him by the shirt sleeve. "What do you mean he's gone missing?" Trepidation coursing through her veins.

"Toby is no longer at his post, and it looks as though a very large man was drug through the sand. Seems plain as day to me." Elizabeth's stomach lurched.

Jack was slow to get up, but took in his surroundings as he did so. The crew was in a panic, Lizzie looked as if she'd seen a ghost and Gibbs was doing nothing, but further fanning the chaos.

"Hold it!" He bellowed, the cave echoing the noise back to him. Everyone stopped to look at Jack. "Before we lose our heads, let's make sure we have all of the facts. Mister Gibbs, are you saying Toby was taken into the jungle by a party unfamiliar with ourselves?"

"Yes, Cap'n" He answered, and, again, the crew started to get panicky.

"Stow it!" Jack yelled again "Mister Gibbs, how on earth could someone kidnap a man of Toby's size undetected?"

"There are multiple tracks leading toward the jungle, Cap'n"

Jack nodded and paused thoughtfully before speaking again, "He could have been pacing to keep himself awake."

"The tracks suggest, that he was dragged through the sand, Cap'n"

Jack didn't have a well reasoned response to that bit of evidence. "Well, why on earth would someone come into our camp and only take Toby?" Jack asked. Gibbs stood unable to respond. "Why come into the camp at all, if not to take us all? Makes no sense, aye? Perhaps he got bored and went off exploring? Or went to relieve himself in private? There are many conclusions that could be reached before we allow all hell to break loose. Now…" He continued giving orders, instructing the men to gather their things and prepare to head into the jungle. Hopefully they would reunite with Toby along the way.

No one had noticed Elizabeth slip out of the cave. When she reached Toby's post, she saw the tracks Gibbs had mentioned, just like he said, just like her dream. She looked to see if she could locate any blood, but to her great relief she couldn't find a drop. _Maybe he was okay. _

As she was turning to head back to the cave, something caught the corner of her eye. The sun was glinting off an object in the sand. She bent to pick it up and dusted it off. _A blowdart? Poison. That's how they were able to take him. Who are "They"? The guardians? The Spanish? _Closing her fist, she made her way back to the others.

As she reached the mouth of the cave she felt a sharp prick against her hand._ Bloody dart. Good job, Elizabeth. _She quickly lost her balance and fell to the sand. Elizabeth lifted her hand to inspect the damage and the last thing she saw before she fell into a deep slumber was a large gash stretching the length of her palm. She tried to call for Jack, but the dart had done its job exceedingly well and the darkness consumed her.


	25. Into the Jungle

**Into the Jungle**

Jack was the first to see Elizabeth collapse to the ground, and his heart sank into his feet. Immediately, he bolted to where she lay a crumpled heap upon the sand, the rest of the crew followed behind him. He knelt beside her, running his hands over her face. "Lizzie?" She didn't stir. He pressed two of his fingers to the side of her neck. _Thank god, she still has a pulse,_ he thought to himself, and relief filled him further as he noticed the small but steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Jack, what happened?" Gibbs asked, making his way through to crowd of pirates.

"I don't know, but she's breathing at least. We should get her inside."

"Do you think that's the best idea? Staying here that is? Whatever or whomever is out there is likely to come back."

"Don't be so paranoid, Gibbs." Jack said, lifting Elizabeth into his arms. As he did, the dart Elizabeth had clutched in her hands fell to the sand.

Gibbs noticed the object, "Jack!" He exclaimed picking up the dart with his fingers.

Jack nodded in acknowledgement. "It seems we have our culprit. I've changed my mind. Gibbs you're absolutely right, we cannot stay here. Everyone, gather your things. We're moving on." Jack said marching toward the tree line, Elizabeth firmly cradled in his arms.

"Into the jungle, Captain?" Gibbs asked, voice fraught with worry as he struggled to stay in step with his captain.

"What other choice do we have?" Jack asked sadly.

"Back to the ship for one. This is too dangerous, Jack! A fool's errand…" Gibbs thought that was plainly obvious.

"I'm afraid that's not on option." Jack said as he continued to walk.

"What's in your head, Jack?" Unsure as to why Jack would continue this death sentence of a journey.

"We need the chest, Elizabeth needs to get to the temple, it's too late to turn back now." Jack spat with surprising venom.

"Christ, Jack, she's not even conscious. Are you really going to put her life in danger, all for a ruddy boat?"

"There's more at steak than just the Pearl, mate. So be helpful will you, get our things, and stop pressing matters that don't concern you." Jack said in frustrated grunt. The crew eyed the two men's argument with weary glances.

With a sad nod, Gibbs obeyed, and headed back to the cave. Jack looked down at the eerily still Elizabeth, her face expressionless as she slumbered in his arms. He hoped she would regain her wits soon, otherwise it would be quite a long journey indeed.

After several hours of hacking their way through dense jungle trees, Jack decided they needed a break (well mostly his arms needed a break), and stopped near a small creek running through the jungle. Jack propped Elizabeth up against a nearby tree while all the men filled their pouches with water, and splashed their faces with the refreshingly cool liquid. Jack took off his bandana and dipped it in the water before pressing it to Elizabeth's forehead. She stirred slightly as he made contact. "Elizabeth" He cupped her cheek with his hand. "Can you hear me, love? Are you all right?" but she didn't answer. Whatever concoction the dart was tipped with, was very potent.

Jack surveyed Elizabeth's map, trying to decipher their best stopping point for the night. They'd have to endure a few more kilometers to make any kind of progress. Jack wished more than ever that Elizabeth was more able bodied than her current state had left her.

They continued the arduous trek through the jungle, finally stopping when they found suitable shelter for the evening. Another cave, smaller than the last, but at least they'd be able to keep a closer watch on everyone. Jack instructed Gibbs to double the watch for the evening, hoping that at least one of them would be able to give some kind of warning. Almost instantly the crew had fallen asleep. Elizabeth remained unconscious while Jack stared intently, his furrowed brow increasing with every passing minute she had not woken up. Gibbs also had a difficult time sleeping, displeased by the fact that Jack chose to keep going. The whole situation made him ill at ease.

A few hours passed and the jungle came alive. The sounds of animals hunting prey in the distance mixed with the chirping of various bugs and birds created an eerie cacophonous symphony into the night air. Jack listened closely for any kind of rustle or twig snapping, holding onto Elizabeth with a protective grip, while Gibbs sipped his rum a bit more fervently. Save for the fire in front of them, it was black as pitch everywhere else. Any light put forth seemed to be immediately absorbed into the blackness surrounding them. After another hour or so, Gibbs had finally managed to drink himself into some kind of sleep, and Jack had begun to nod off slightly despite his better efforts to stay awake. He hadn't noticed that all the sounds around him ceased. There was a deafening silence hanging in the air.

All at once, there was a loud scream outside of the cave and the fire inside was extinguished suddenly. Jack bolted upright along with the rest of the crew. A slight breeze wafted through the cave sending a distinct chill up his spine. Jack groped for his sword, though he couldn't see a damn thing. Everyone slowly removed their weapons from their sheaths waiting patiently for whatever predator was threatening to enter the cave. It was dead silent again, all Jack could here was the sparse and labored breathing noises of his crew. Jack moved to his feet slowly and whispered to Gibbs to stay with Elizabeth. Slowly Jack inched himself toward the mouth of the cave, sword drawn in front of him. He closed his eyes for a few moments before walking further, hoping his eyes would adjust to the darkness. With minimal visibility he continued forth. He could only make out one of the crewmen who were on watch. It had been Jacob, one of the young men they picked up in Tortuga, who was closest to the cave. Jack put a hand on his shoulder asking him if he'd seen anything. The man was unmoving, eyes focused straight ahead. Jack shoved him, trying to snap him out of his trance, but to no avail.

Suddenly a gust of wind whipped passed Jack toward the cave, taking him completely off guard. Jack snapped his head back toward the cave. A few yells of alarm came forth along with the sound of a pistol being fired and men spilled from the cave in every direction. _Elizabeth, _he thought frantically. Jack sprinted back toward the opening, but was pulled back suddenly and violently. He looked up to find two large eyes, black as coal, staring straight through him as Jacob stood towering over him. Before Jack had a moment to react, Jacob lifted him by the shirt and shoved him against outside of the cave. Jack struggled to free himself. The lad was a brute under normal circumstances, but unencumbered by inhibitions and nautical hierarchy and clearly under the influence of some kind of hypnotism or sorcery, Jacob was more of beast than man. Strong hands gripped Jack's arms and shoved him into the rocks again. Jack was beginning to feel a mite dizzy, but used what strength he had to whip his head foreword to collide with Jacob's, sending the man backward a few feet and allowing Jack a moment to breathe and to steady his sword. Unfortunately for Jack, Jacob was none too stunned by the action and was on him almost instantly, his own weapon drawn. Their swords rang piercingly together into the night. Back and forth, back and forth. Blow after blow, Jacob struck hard. Jack was barely able to grip the hilt as the sword vibrated vigorously in his hand. Defending each blow grew increasingly difficult. Jack was certain his arms had turned to lead and Jacob was quickly backing him into a corner. Jack needed to think of a way out, better yet he needed a distraction. For a moment he thought he might be able to gain the advantage if he could break away long enough to dart around behind the man, but Jack was soon corrected when a heavy swing of Jacob's sword sent Jack's careening into the forest. The crew who stood outside watching the ordeal made an attempt to interfere, but Jack shook his head at them to stay away. No sense in anyone else getting killed on his behalf. Jacob swung his right fist hard against Jack's cheek, forcing Jack to divest a mouthful of blood. The lad meant to swing again, but Jack ducked just in time. Trying to break free, Jacob grabbed Jack and shoved him harder against the wall, holding him firmly in place by the throat, increasing Jack's dizziness. Unexpectedly, Jacob finally spoke, his voice hollow and menacing, "You can't fight this Sparrow. No matter how hard you try to protect her, she belongs to us. One chance, Jack. Leave the girl and go back to your ship or more of you will die."

"Never." Jack spat in his face, temporarily disarming his adversary. Jacob grappled at his eyes. Jack signaled to the other men to grab some rope while Jack absconded a rifle. With a mighty swing, Jack knocked Jacob in the head with the butt of the gun sending him to the floor. "That's going to hurt tomorrow." Jack said to himself. The crewmen returned with the rope and Jack ordered them to tie Jacob to the trunk of one of the trees. Out of breath and increasingly woozy, Jack collapsed on a nearby rock, head firmly held in his own hands.

Gibbs came rushing out of the cave as he realized the commotion had died down. "Mother's love, Jack! What the hell _was_ that?"

"It appears we are dealing with forces far beyond anything I've ever encountered before."

"I'll say" chimed in one of the crew members. "Toby was plucked from the beach with naught a sound, all that's left of Nathan was the scream he let out right before Jacob became possessed by the devil. I don't know about you lot, but I'm thinking it might be time to turn around."

"No one is going anywhere!" Jack bellowed, trying to stand, but ultimately sitting back on the rock and spitting some more blood onto the dirt.

"You heard him, Captain. If we don't give them Captain Swann, they're going to kill more of us." Another crew member added.

"Jack" Gibbs muttered in hushed tones. "You can't put the whole crew in such a perilous position."

"Can't I? I'm the Captain. They will do as commanded." Jack was starting to get agitated. Gibbs had never seen such a side of him before. "Or I'll keelhaul every single one of you!" He yelled, turning away from Gibbs.

Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open as she listened to the ruckus outside. Alone, in the cave she opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unable to voice any other sound but hoarseness. She struggled to lift herself into a sitting position, her head feeling heavier than it did after a lengthy night of drinking. She could hear Jack yelling at the crew, he sounded fierce and unyielding…almost like Barbossa. _Utterly unsettling_. She'd never heard him so deadly serious in all her years of knowing him. Shakily she got to her feet. Holding herself up against the wall of the cave, she made her way outside.

"I'll not die for her, and I'll not die for you. There is naught in it for us." Another crewman chimed in. Aside from Gibbs and Barton, a man from the Devil's original crew, everyone else was in whole hearted agreement, muttering similar sentiments and insults thrown in the direction of Jack and Elizabeth.

"A mutiny is it?" Jack stood, sword drawn.

Suddenly the din quieted, and the crew stared passed Jack, looking sheepish. Puzzled Jack turned his head to find Elizabeth breathing heavily, leaning against the cave entrance.

"Elizabeth." Jack quickly ran over to her, helping her to lean her weight against him instead of the cave.

"I'm all right." She choked out. Jack signaled for water. Gibbs hurried to the pair with his own pouch. Elizabeth emptied its contents greedily and handed it back to Gibbs. She cleared her throat before speaking again, "Would someone like to explain to me what's going on out here?" She asked, voice still quiet and trembling.

"Nathan has been taken, Jacob is not quite_ himself_, and we have been, not so kindly, instructed to leave you here and return to the Devil lest we all wish to meet our maker in a timely fashion." Jack offered to her simply. "These lot wish to abandon the cause."

"Let them." She whispered.

Jack wasn't sure if he heard her correctly. "Beg your pardon?" he asked sincerely befuddled.

"Let them, Jack. It doesn't concern them. We don't need them here. They'd be better fending off our enemies back on the ship."

"What's to stop them from commandeering the ship and leaving us here to rot?" He said rather loudly.

"I left loyal members of my crew on the ship for a reason, Jack."

"You're serious?"

Elizabeth nodded, Jack ran a hand over his face. "Fine." Jack turned to the disgruntled crew. "You're free to go." The men quickly scrambled to the cave to gather their belongings. "But I'm sending Mister Gibbs with you to ensure we still have a ship upon our return."

"Assuming he doesn't drink himself into a coma." Elizabeth muttered under her breath, beginning to feel a bit more like herself…slightly.

"He won't." Jack glared at Gibbs who nodded with fervor.

Everyone departed save for Jack, Elizabeth, Barton, and Jacob, who still remained tied to the tree.

"What are we to do with him, Captain?" Barton asked indicating a thumb toward Jacob.

"Leave him for now. We'll reevaluate his condition in the morning. If I were you, I'd get some rest" Jack answered before turning to Elizabeth who had slumped back against the cave. She stared pensively at her palm, suddenly afraid that perhaps these guardians were _not_, in fact, champions for the greater good, and she _was_, in fact, leading everyone to their untimely demise. Jack sauntered over to her, lifting her chin with his finger, and questioning her countenance with just a look.

"They took Toby to get to me" She answered. "Nathan too."

"It's not your fault" Jack attempted to assuage her guilt, if even slightly.

"Of course it is. I insisted we go this far, the crew needn't have had a part in it, its me they're after, how isn't it my fault?" She paused staring back at her palm. "It would probably be safer for you back on the Devil." She muttered softly, like the sound of a feather hitting the floor.

Jack rolled his eyes, "I'm not leaving you in the jungle alone."

"They'll not harm me, they need me."

"Completely out of the question, and if you believe for one moment that I'd entertain the thought, then you have officially lost your senses." Jack picked up her hand and she hissed as he pressed his fingers into the gash on her palm. Immediately, Jack turned her hand over. "Where did you get that?" He asked with consternation.

"On the beach. I think one of them was in the cave."

"You saw someone?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, how…exactly?"

Elizabeth paused thoughtfully, wondering if her explanation would even make sense to Jack, but continued anyway."It was like a nightmare, but far more real, and doubly terrifying." Elizabeth proceeded to give Jack the details of her dream as he looked on, fear beginning to cloud his features.

After she'd finished, Jack didn't say anything for a moment. He soon realized that he needed to get her away from this place and quickly. Whatever these guardians wanted from her couldn't possibly bode well, the Pearl certainly wasn't worth this sort of trouble, and surely they could manage to hide out from one crazed Spanish Captain and his armada.

Elizabeth could see the deep worry in his eyes as he was thinking of a way out of their predicament. She put her hand on his cheek, attempting to turn his focus toward her.

"We need to leave." He said decidedly.

"I can't leave, Jack."

"Elizabeth, this is not worth whatever answers you are looking for. We need to go…now."

"Jack, I physically can't leave." And it was true, they had gone too far. She could sense that much. She might have had a chance while they were still on the beach, but deep within the jungle, there was only onward.

"Sure you can, it's easy" He grabbed her hand and led her back toward the way they'd come. They'd made it five feet when Elizabeth was flung violently back toward the cave. "Bloody hell!" Jack ran to where she landed "Elizabeth, are you all right?"

"I told you" She said, dusting off her pants as she got to her feet. "There's only one option for me. Please, Jack, go back to the ship," she pleaded with him.

"Not a chance." He pulled her into his arms.

"Bloody stubborn pirate." She sighed exasperated.

"We should sleep" Jack said, kissing her forehead.

"I've slept plenty, but you rest. I'll keep watch." She smiled at him.

Jack raised his eyebrow skeptically.

"I wont let them take me without waking you first." She assured him, placing her palms on his chest.

"That's all I ask." He bent his head and captured her lips hungrily. "For a split second I thought I lost you this morning. Scariest moment of my life." He whispered to her, resting his forehead against hers.

"You won't be rid of me so easy." She tried to make light of his sorrow. She didn't enjoy a glum Jack Sparrow. So she attempted kiss away the sad look on his face, peppering his face with a feather light touch. Jack closed his eyes, soaking in the sensation.

Running her hand down his arm, Elizabeth grabbed Jack's hand and led him back to the cave. Arranging some of the blankets they'd brought and both of their coats, she pulled Jack to the floor, urging him to lie down.

Sighing, he did as he was bid and lay down with his head in her lap. Elizabeth leaned against the wall of the cave gently stroking Jack's face with her fingertips as he quickly fell to sleep.

Morning came without disturbance. As he woke, Jack stretched his limbs like a feline napping in the sunlight, but when he reached for Elizabeth, she was nowhere to be found. Neither was Barton. In a panic Jack burst forth from the cave, only to find Elizabeth speaking with a still tied up Jacob, and Barton returning with an armful of fruit.

"Good morning." Elizabeth greeted him cheerily.

"Morning." He said rubbing his face. Elizabeth closed the distance between them, planting a kiss on his pursed lips. "I thought you'd run off with Barton" He said with a minimal trace of humor, Barton choking behind him at the Captain's suspicions.

"Apologies, Captain. I didn't want to wake you" She kissed his cheek and returned her attention to Jacob. "Jacob was just explaining to me the events leading up to his most surprising possession."

"Ah. A story I would be much interested in hearing as well."

"As I was saying. It was two men what grabbed Nathan. Tall, dark skinned, tribal markings. They shot him with some kind of poisoned dart. He dropped to the ground almost instantly." Jacob recounted.

"I believe they used the same method on Toby." Elizabeth pondered, knowing first hand just how true that was.

Jacob continued. "It was one man who came for me. Grabbed me from behind. Stronger than anyone I've ever encountered. He held me in place, a hand over my mouth, and whispered something in my ear in a language I did not recognize. That's when things started to get fuzzy. I do apologize for attacking you, captain." Jacob turned his attention toward Jack.

"Quite all right, mate. Could've happened to any one of us." Jack brushed off the apology.

"I was waiting for you to decide whether or not we should untie him." Elizabeth turned to Jack as well.

"I don't see why not. You're not still feeling fuzzy, are you?" Jack asked as he got uncomfortably close to Jacob, scrutinizing his every facial feature.

"Clear headed, sir"

"Brilliant. Cut the ropes, then." Jack stood, clapping his hands together. "We'll need to get moving as quickly as possible. The sooner we can get to the temple the better." Jack turned toward Elizabeth who nodded her head in agreement. "Jacob, I'll give you the same option as the rest of our cowardly lot to head back to the ship if you choose to. Won't hold it against you."

Jacob stood up and stretched. "Well, I've already been possessed, what more could happen?"

"Careful what you wish for, mate." Jack snickered, before cutting the man free.


	26. A Sad Story

**A/N: Apologies again for the length in between updates. I do my best to make time, but sometimes there just isn't any. Anyway, thank you to those who continue to read. Knowing there are folks out there enjoying the story really helps me keep it going. **

**A Sad Story**

Four days had passed. They'd seen no more of the guardians. Elizabeth wondered if, perhaps, there weren't that many of them, causing them to feel outnumbered by Elizabeth's crew. Going toe to toe with four men instead of fifteen would be a much more manageable fight, she pondered. Or, perhaps, they'd been left alone because their little crew had walked for almost the entirety of the four days only stopping to rest for a few hours at a time.

They were only a day or two away from Cusco. Jack had suggested cutting north to head up the mountain, following the creek and avoiding the town all together. Elizabeth was inclined to agree. It was better not to make their presence known to anyone else.

The journey grew increasingly more difficult as the air became thinner and decidedly colder, and the brush and brambles had grown so thick, it left their bodies scraped and cut, throbbing as the dry air caused their skin to tighten. Before, where there was some semblance of a foot path, now only held numerous formations of rocks for them to climb over. The mountain was brutal and unforgiving. _The tribesmen picked an excellent location for a hidden temple. Surely no sane person would attempt such a journey_, Elizabeth thought to herself. Thankfully the creek provided them with fresh water, but the food was growing scarce.

Limbs heavy and weak, her body feeling as though it could collapse at a moments notice, Elizabeth looked ahead at the ever winding path taking them higher up the mountain and stopped dead in her tracks. Leaning with one hand on the trunk of a tree, she called out to no one in particular.

"I can't." She breathed out heavily as she began to drop to her knees. Jack was far ahead and hadn't heard her protestations, but Barton who was trailing behind them all, hurried to his fallen Captain. "I can't." She kept whispering to herself.

He knelt next to her, a hand on her back as she continued to heave, and called out to Jack. "Captain!"

Jack and Jacob both turned at the sound of alarm in Barton's voice and rushed back to where Barton and Elizabeth were stopped.

"What happened?" Jack asked Barton, kneeling in front of Elizabeth and lifting her chin to look at him. Her eyes were glazed, cheeks were flushed, and she seemed to look passed him.

"Can't rightly say. She stopped walking and collapsed." Barton responded honestly.

Jack turned his attention back toward Elizabeth. "Lizzie, darling, are you all right?"

"I can't" She whispered again, barely audible.

"You're going to have to speak up, love."

"We have to stop." She said only marginally louder and looked up at him with blank eyes.

"Very well. We'll stop for a few hours."

Jack moved to stand, but Elizabeth grabbed his wrist, stopping him roughly. "For the night" She amended.

"Lizzie," He said her name like he was talking to a foolish child. "We need to keep moving. There's no shelter here. We'll be sitting ducks."

"I do believe we are already. Shelter didn't stop any of the previous attacks. Furthermore, I don't care. I'm not moving another inch until I get a decent night's rest." Not that she considered sleeping on the ground as a decent night's rest, but it was better than nothing.

Jack sighed, knowing this was an argument he would not win. He stood and whispered a few orders to Barton and Jacob, and knelt in front of Elizabeth once again. "The lads are going to go ahead and look for shelter. We will stay here and rest until they return. When they do, the four of us will head to whatever they've found and then we can rest for the night. Savvy?"

"Aye" she agreed reluctantly, eyes fluttering shut from exhaustion.

Jack picked Elizabeth up, hooking his arm beneath her knees, and carried her to the bank of the creek, propping her up against a tree. He sat beside her, encouraging her to lean her head against his shoulder.

"Tell me about your mother." She whispered in her delirium.

"I don't think now is the best time for such stories." Jack responded with some reservation.

"Why not? We have the time." She insisted. Reminding him of another time when he'd said the same to her.

He looked down at her expecting to see a wicked smirk staring up at him, but Elizabeth curled against his arm, eyes closed, looking, for all intents and purposes, rather innocent "Very well" He sighed, unable to resist.

Jack spoke of his mother, Vittoria, a Spanish noble, too brave for her own good. "She craved adventure and let no one stand in the way of what she wanted. She was kind and generous, and spent most of her days near the sea, tending to the sick and unfortunate and bringing food to the hungry. Most of the town thought her mad, and, much to her father's regret, a great source of worry."

Elizabeth listened intently with the impression that she and Vittoria Teague would have been nothing short of kindred spirits.

"She had been engaged to a wealthy admiral, a staunch man, unyielding in his devotion to the crown and to the faith. Her father had told her it would be a fine match, she would have everything she could ever want, and it would finally put to bed the rumors of her madness. As you know, that's rarely ever the case, is it? After their marriage, she was confined to their home, prohibited from leaving, no matter the circumstances. As it happened, her isolation only gave further fire to the rumors of her insanity. But she made do. Instead of leaving, she sent the servants to town to bring her back various treats and baubles to brighten up an otherwise dismal home. The admiral thought her a sinner for all the meager pleasures she sought, and forced her to scribe bible verses from sun up to sun down. He had a young valet sit and watch her to ensure she did as she was bid. He was to beat her if she so much as blinked in dispute. One day she'd had about all she could handle and decided that was not the life she wished to lead. To hell with everyone else. So, one night, in the cover of darkness, clad in men's clothing and a cloak, she stole away to the docks, looking to barter passage onto the first ship she could find. Docked in the harbor that night happened to sit _The Red Devil_."

Elizabeth sat up. "Teague's ship?" She asked excitedly, eager to hear of the fairy tale romance.

"It wasn't always." He replied. "A long, very long time ago The Red Devil was one of the most feared ships on the seven seas, Captain Edward Teach its captain. Edward _Teague_ was his plucky first mate, wide eyed and ready for adventure on the high seas."

"Teague was Blackbeard's first mate? How is it I have not heard this?" Elizabeth asked in awe.

"It's not something Teague enjoys speaking of, if he speaks at all." Elizabeth gave a soft chuckle being all too familiar with Teague's silent company. "Are you sure you want me to continue? It really isn't a pleasant tale."

"Please. I want to know." Elizabeth returned her head to his shoulder, awaiting the rest of the story.

"She found her way to the gangplank in what she thought was a reasonable disguise, but the crew of the Devil saw right through it. They grabbed at her, pulling at her clothing, practically salivating over her, ready to take her right then and there. Teague overheard the commotion and quickly came to her rescue. He pulled every man off of her one by one and threatened to gut every single one of them for disrespecting her. She had fallen for him in that instant, at least that's what she told me. It all sounded a bit too chivalrous to be Teague, if you ask me."

"You don't believe your father is capable of such noble exploits?" Elizabeth asked him

"I believe him capable of a lot of things, but I don't believe he saved her because he loved her." Jack added, implying that Teague was only after one thing.

"Honestly, Jack. There's no need to turn something beautiful into something debauched."

"It's what I do best."

"Bollocks. I have endless amounts of proof that you are, in fact, a good man, and I'll wager you didn't just get that from your mum."

Jack narrowed his eyes at her, despite the fact that he so enjoyed when she dropped her posh English speech in favor of a more roughened tone. He continued with his story, hoping to stray from further discussion of his honor. "Anyhow, after a rather heated argument with Blackbeard, Teague was able to persuade him to let Vittoria aboard. From that moment on she was under his protection."

"Hold on a moment" Elizabeth interrupted once more. "If the Devil was the most feared ship in the seven seas, what was it doing docked in a busy Spanish port and not hidden in some secret cove?"

"Elizabeth, do you wish to hear the story or are you going to interrupt me at every turn?"

"I wish to hear the story, but with proper details." She grumbled.

"Before Edward Teach was known as the fearsome pirate Blackbeard, he was a merchant sailor, respectable, cunning, but also ruthless. He was the first privateer, if you will, paid to commit the very crimes we all hang for these days. So, for The Devil, it was not necessary to hide. Satisfied?" He asked looking down at Elizabeth.

"Quite. You may continue."

"As I was saying, Teague took her under his wing and was genuinely surprised to find her a very capable sailor. To this day he'll tell you, that no one could tie a better not than she. Again, of course, should he decide to speak at all. Eventually they fell in love, as such things tend to happen, and they sailed the seas, free as birds. She was as fierce a pirate as there ever was, and Teague...well...was Teague, only happier, softer."

"See, I told you. He did love her."

"I believe I did say as much, I just don't think it was love at first sight."

"You don't know that. You weren't there. Although, I do have a hard time envisioning a softness to Teague."

"Really? I'd say he's as soft as he's ever been. Especially since you took up residence at the cove." Jack said with a soft chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, unsure if she should be insulted by his comment.

"You remind him of her." He responded plainly, taking a reverent pause as he remembered his mother, and saying without saying that Elizabeth had reminded Jack of his mother as well. Elizabeth could sense his sadness and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. With a smirk, Jack gathered her into his arms.

"What happened next?" She asked after a moment.

"It wasn't long before she found herself with child. The Devil was set to embark on a dangerous journey 'round the horn and Teague decided it was best if Vittoria did not join them. She put up all manner of protests and tantrums, but Teague and Blackbeard both agreed that a ship was no place to give birth to a baby. So, they left her with a childhood friend of Teague's in Cuba. Nine months later, a handsome black haired boy was born, ready to take on the world."

"So you weren't born on a ship in the middle of a storm?"

"Sadly, no. That part of the legend has been grossly exaggerated."

"Don't worry, it doesn't ruin my image of you." She assured him. "Did Teague return to her?"

"Eventually, but not for many years. I didn't meet Teague until I was five and by then he'd become Captain of The Red Devil. Probably the most pleasant memory I have of him from my childhood. He was thrilled to return and discover that she'd bore him a son. He brought us back to the ship and we were happy… for a time."

After a brief moment of silence Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak "How did she…when did she…?" Elizabeth wasn't sure if she should ask this sort of question, but she wished to know everything she could about Jack.

"We were sailing in the caribbean when a ship approached us in the night. A Spanish naval vessel, heavily armed, canons trained on us. Apparently they'd been following the Devil for quite some time, but only managed to catch up after we had a brief stay in Madagascar."

"It was her husband, wasn't it? The one she'd escaped from?"

"Right you are, Lizzie darling. He'd been chasing her the moment he found she'd disappeared, intent on snuffing out her wild ways for good. Teague had ordered a cease-fire hoping they could come to some kind of mutual understanding, a non violent resolution. I had been asleep in my cabin below deck, and the last thing Teague wanted was to bring a fight onto his ship. So, we were boarded by the Admiral and his crew. Teague moved to approach the man, but soon found himself at the end of a pistol and grabbed by two brutes. My mother was dragged from her cabin and thrown onto the deck. I had heard the scuffle on deck and quietly made my way up the stairs. I normally wasn't allowed on deck at night, but I was too curious for my own good."

"Imagine that." Elizabeth scoffed.

"I watched from the top of the stairs as the Admiral slunk toward her. He grabbed her by the face, called her a pirate's whore and shoved her hard toward the deck. That was the first time I'd ever heard that word. 'Pirate'. It filled me with confusion and loathing. I badly wanted to run the admiral through, but I knew I needed to stay out of sight. Teague fought against his captors and screamed bloody murder for them to stop hurting her, but he was knocked out with the butt of a pistol and collapsed to the deck. I guess I had made a sound because the next thing I knew the admiral was pointing his pistol directly at me. My mother screamed for him to leave me be, but he kept repeating that it was her punishment, and that I was an abomination under the eyes of god. The last memory I have of her, is her reaching out for me, laying at my feet, blood pooling in every which way. Somehow she'd managed to throw herself in front of me as the Admiral fired. Sometime after that, Teague had regained consciousness, and ordered the crew to attack. Driving his sword into the Admiral himself, they came away victorious, but nothing was ever quite the same after that. Teague had become a real cutthroat pirate that day. He left me at the Cove and I didn't see him for nearly a decade."

"Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry." She looked up at him, eyes misty from the tears that threatened to spill.

"It was a long time ago, love. Teague and I have since reconciled some of our differences after blaming each other for what happened. Now, we have an understanding." He combed her hair with his palm, assuring her that these particular wounds had healed, however coarsely.

The sat in silence for a while, each of them contemplating the moments in their lives that got them to this point, and soon fell asleep. An hour or so later, Elizabeth woke to the sound of branches breaking in the distance. Startled, she quickly turned to Jack. "I think someone's out there." She said in a hushed whisper as she shoved him lightly.

Jack was slow to recognize what she had meant until he heard the noise again. The two of them jumped to their feet with swords drawn. "Stay behind me" He commanded, attempting to step in front of her.

"I hardly think that's necessary." She responded coming to his side.

Jack rolled his eyes and waited for whatever was in the bushes to show itself. Elizabeth began to inch closer as she heard muffled voices and more branches breaking.

Jack gestured for her to come back, but she ignored him and pressed on further. "Elizabeth!" He whispered loudly.

"Calm yourself, Jack." She said pulling back some of the brush to reveal Barton and Jacob stumbling toward them. "Nothing to be afraid of here." She chuckled.

Jack relaxed his arm, and stepped forward. "Well, did you find anything?"

"About three kilometers ahead of us, we found another cave. It's a bit of a daunting trek, the path is anything but clear, however there is a hot spring nearby, so it is worth the reward." Barton answered in kind.

"Can you manage?" He asked turning toward Elizabeth.

"Yes. Let's go." The idea of sinking her aching body into a hot spring rejuvenated her spirit, and she practically sprinted ahead of them at the thought.

—-

Barton wasn't lying, the path to the cave was arduous, painful, and downright unpleasant. When they finally reached their safe haven for the night, Elizabeth collapsed to the ground, tears of joy running down her face.

"Alright then, love. Let's maintain our composure, shall we?" Jack said, lifting her up from the ground. He gave an amused smirk toward Jacob and Barton, as he led Elizabeth by the hand toward the cave. Jack's arm was abruptly pulled back, as Elizabeth stood unmoving. "What now?" He asked a little impatiently. Over the past few hours Elizabeth had exhibited more the temperament of an 8 year old than that of a bloody pirate king.

"I wish to go to the hot spring." She said, folding her arms and giving a small pout, further instilling her childish image in Jack's mind.

"Right now?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes." She stated firmly.

With a heavy sigh and a roll of his eyes, Jack turned to Barton. "Would you mind leading us to the hot spring in question. Jacob, get a fire started. Barton will be returned to you shortly."

"If it's all the same to you, Captain, I think we would all enjoy a dip in the spring, don't you?" Jacob responded in kind.

"Splendid, no time to waste then. Let's go." Elizabeth clapped her hands together in a Jack Sparrow fashion and started following the two gentlemen.

Jack pulled Elizabeth back, keeping a reasonable distance between them and their crew mates. "Lizzie, dear, do you plan on entering the spring in your clothes?" He asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Of course not." She replied, confused by his question.

"Don't you think it a bit improper to be stripping down to your skivvies in front of…" He tilted his head toward the other two men.

"Jack Sparrow worried about propriety. Now I've seen everything." She mocked him. "I see no problem with it. I have nothing they haven't seen before. Besides, I'm certain they'll be more concerned with what they have been endowed with in comparison to what my dashing captain has been endowed with." She spoke with a mischievous grin and prodded forward, leaving Jack standing dumbfounded in her tracks.

The hot spring was located behind a dense wall of trees and brush, if it weren't for the potent sulphuric odor, one would never know it was there. They entered through the opening Jacob had cut from the previous scouting trip.

Elizabeth was in awe of how peaceful it felt. Safely guarded by an impenetrable thicket, surrounded by stars, the way the heat of the water fogged just above the surface, it was like a secret Eden. Apart from the smell, that is.

Jacob and Barton wasted no time divesting themselves of their clothing, and jumped into the water. Elizabeth followed suit, but not before Jack stood, shielding her from the eyes of the other two.

"Allow the lady some privacy, wont you?" Jack commanded.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she stepped out of her breeches. "Honestly, Jack, jealousy doesn't suit you at all. They are more than welcome to look, " She said, side stepping him and lowering herself into the water "but that's it." She added with a menacing tone, letting the other men know she would gut them if they did anything more than look.

Jack stood, mouth agape as she slipped by him. In a huff, he crossed his arms, and leaned back against the tree, keeping an eye on Barton and Jacob.

Elizabeth had never felt so heavenly in all her life. Her cold bones welcomed the heated water with open arms, causing her to groan in satisfaction. Barton and Jacob shared a chuckle as she wriggled beneath the water, eliciting sounds of pleasure. Jack unceremoniously cleared his throat at them, snapping Elizabeth out of her trance.

"Are you going to join us, Jack? Or are you going to stand there glaring at us for the remainder of the evening?" She asked, lolling her head back looking for him amongst the tree line.

"I'm fine where I am, thank you. Someone ought to stand guard."

Elizabeth turned to face him, "Loosen up, Jack. No one is going to find us here."

As she spoke the words, the unmistakable sound of muskets locking echoed throughout the surrounding tree line, and a dread filled stone sunk to the bottom of Elizabeth's stomach.


	27. The Spanish

**A/N: Oh boy! It's been a while since I updated. Sorry for that. If anyone is interested I made a few edits/changes to the previous chapters. The basic story is the same, I just fixed a few things that had been bothering me. Anyway, I hope to make my updates more frequent from here on out, but that is probably a tall order. Read, review, enjoy! Ta!**

**The Spanish**

Without hesitation, Jack drew his sword and turned to face the woods behind him. Elizabeth, Barton and Jacob started to slowly move toward their effects, wishing to be a little less vulnerable.

"Don't move." Came a voice from the trees.

The three in the water, paused their movements as a Spanish captain made his way into the clearing.

Jack paled, realizing who stood before him. "You." He said in shock.

"I said I would find you. Did you doubt me?" The Captain said to Jack.

Jack's mouth dried up. No words would come. This was it. Everything he tried so hard to keep together would crumble from this point on.

"There was a moment I feared we would never catch up with you. You're evasive maneuvers in Valdivia were a stroke of genius to keep your cover, I'll admit, but it took much effort to make up for lost time. Thankfully we picked up a very disgruntled sailor in Tortuga who happened to know precisely where you were headed. You didn't think you could escape our agreement, did you?" The man asked Jack.

"What is he talking about?" Elizabeth asked from the spring.

"Ah Miss Swann, or should I say _King_ Swann? I've been most eager to meet you." The Captain signaled for two soldiers to lift her from the water. Jack moved toward her, wanting to shield her, but was stopped by the sound of pistol aimed at his head. "Not so fast, Jack. Don't deprive me of such a breathtaking beauty."

Jack snarled at the man. Elizabeth twisted her naked frame, trying to shrink from view, but to no avail. The two men pulled her arms so that she had no choice but to stand upright, in full view. The captain eyed her, salivating over her every curve. "She is something special, isn't she Jack?"

Jack began to seethe as he watched the man ogling his fiancé.

There was a brief moment where Jacob and Barton attempted to reach their pistols while the Spanish captain was distracted, but more soldiers, armed with muskets, emerged from the wood. They pointed their weapons at the pair and signaled for them to get out of the water as well.

"Perhaps we should better acquaint ourselves. I am Diego Espinoza, former valet to Roberto Castillo." He said, finally tearing his eyes away from Elizabeth.

"Castillo?!" Jack said, realization dawning as he remembered the familiar name on Espinoza's ship.

"Yes, Sparrow. Castillo. Your mother's escape put quite a stain upon my ledger. Cost me greatly." The man stated, the twisted scar above his jaw coming into view. "You can imagine my delight when the opportunity arose to rob the harlot's son of his greatest desires. I was as giddy as a maid on her wedding night when I came upon you in Tortuga. You were exactly where I was told you'd be. And when you agreed to my proposal…it was just too much. And now, here we are. Promises fulfilled, hearts waiting to be broken, it's as if all my wildest fantasies have come true."

"Can someone please explain to me what in the bloody hell is going on?" Elizabeth uttered loudly from between her two captors. "And perhaps allow some of us to become a bit less…unclad."

"Of course, my dear Swann" Espinoza nodded to one of the men holding Elizabeth who let go and retrieved her clothing from the ground. As did one of the soldiers guarding Barton and Jacob.

Elizabeth was allowed to dress as Espinoza continued. "You wish to know what is happening, allow me to explain. I am here to collect my payment."

"Payment." Elizabeth echoed.

"Yes. Payment. Captain Sparrow, here, so very kindly traded you for his life and the restoration of his ship."

"He did?" She asked, mouth tensed into a straight line.

"Yes. He agreed to retrieve you and Blackbeard's chest."

"That was very thoughtful of him" She glared at Jack, teeth clenched.

"Certainly not very altruistic, but all the same, it was the bargain we struck. You are a very important part of a very ancient prophecy, you know? So if you would be so kind, Miss Swann, lead us on to the temple, hm? And you can bestow upon me the power I so desperately crave" The Captain said, pointing the pistol at Elizabeth's head.

"And what makes you think I will do as you ask?" She stated defiantly.

The Captain only laughed as his guard dog Lucius held a knife to Jack's throat.

Elizabeth flinched slightly and she stared at Jack, searching his face for a reasonable explanation. Jack stared at the ground sheepishly beneath her gaze, unable to stand the disappointment in her eyes. This was it. This was what he was hiding. He struck a deal with the Spanish and couldn't be bothered to inform her of the predicament he'd put them in. Inwardly, she had to laugh. How ironic; so often he warned her about her pride, and here they stood falling victim to his own stupid bloody hubris. What did he think she would do if he had just come out with it? _Bloody fool. Bloody pirate. _She sighed. There was no sense in fighting this. They all sought the same thing.

"The pistol isn't necessary." She muttered defeated. "I'll take you to the chest"

"Excellent." Espinoza said as they marched forward through the jungle.

—

Jack and Elizabeth led the group as Espinoza and the rest followed behind, muskets at the ready in case anyone decided to make a break for it.

The path continued to be difficult and the lack of rest was taking its toll on Elizabeth. She lost her balance while climbing over a jagged set of rocks and Jack grabbed her swiftly by the arm, pulling her to her feet.

"Don't touch me." She said, yanking her arm away from his grasp.

"Lizzie, you know I was never actually planning to hand you over to them."

"Of course I do, but you should have told me. We could have figured out a plan. We could have been more prepared instead of doing the exact opposite of what we set out to do." She whispered harshly.

"You're right. I should have told you. I just…I didn't know…everything was suddenly so complicated."

"You knew from the beginning I was apart of this prophecy and said nothing. Nothing! How do you expect me to trust you?"

"The compass never lies, Lizzy." He said solemnly.

"Don't you 'Lizzy' me. Shut your mouth and keep moving. This is far from over. You need to think of a way out of this, and I don't want to hear you utter another syllable until you do." She marched on ahead of him.

Jack hung his head and kept moving forward. There were many ways he envisioned her finding out the truth, and, all things considered, she was being perfectly rational in her reaction to the new information…and that terrified him greatly.

"That's quite a woman you have there, Jack. She reminds me of your mother. A shame what happened to her" Diego said insincerely, sidling up next to Jack. "Understand, giving up the Devil to Castillo…I was only doing my duty. We all bear the scars of her brazen choices. The bitch deserved what she got. " Espinoza said, words needling Jack to his very core.

It only took a moment for Jack to round on the man. He quickly grabbed Diego's arm and twisted it behind his back. Jack grabbed the man's pistol and pressed it to his temple. The rest of Diego's crew pointed their muskets at Jack in warning.

"I'll shoot, make no mistake." Jack yelled. Elizabeth turned at the sound of the fray.

"Si. So will we" Lucius responded.

"Take your best shot." Jack countered.

"Jack, no!" Elizabeth ran back toward him.

Jack cocked the pistol in his hand. The men with their muskets trained on Jack did the same.

"I'm warning you, don't come any closer!" He screamed again.

The next moments were a blur. Without warning, Spanish soldiers began dropping, one by one, at their feet, arrows protruding from their bodies. Jack and Elizabeth looked around in confusion. After a moment, Bennett and a few other crew members emerged from the Jungle, followed by Barbossa. Jack took this opportunity to knock Captain Espinoza unconscious.

"You've impeccable timing, mate." Jack said, turning toward Barbossa, shaking his hand.

"I saw them approach from the south. I made my presence known to your crew and gathered as many willing men as I could to venture back into the jungle. Which, as you can see, wasn't many. They're awfully spooked by the goings on out here. Care to elaborate?"

"Not at the moment." Jack muttered.

"So he's with us now?" Elizabeth asked, perched upon a boulder, completely unfazed by the sight of him.

"Elizabeth..." Jack started, heading toward her.

"No." She held her hand up and stopped him from coming any closer to her. "I asked you for one thing when I agreed to come on this venture. Do you remember what that was?"

"Complete and total honesty." Jack muttered quietly.

"So you are able to hear me when I speak? That is a relief." She added with notable sarcasm.

"Lizzie…" He grabbed her hands in his.

"What, Jack? Let's hear it. Enumerate the many excuses you no doubt have for deceiving me." She said, impatiently.

"If I may?" Barbossa inquired,

"You may not." Elizabeth touted.

Barbossa continued anyway. "Jack was always trying to do right by you. He just does a piss poor job of it."

Jack gave Barbossa a 'you're not really helping' look and turned his attention back toward Elizabeth.

Elizabeth had to laugh at that. "Truer words never spoken, Hector." Elizabeth relaxed a bit. "Very well, the two of you have much explaining to do, and I'm in dire need of rest. So, lets make camp for the night and you can fill me in on all of the missing pieces."

"What about him?" Jacob asked, pointing to the crumpled heap that was Diego Espinoza.

"Tie him to the tree. Maybe the guardians will consider it a sacrifice and leave us be." Jack suggested.

Once they were satisfied Espinoza was tightly secured to the tree, Jack explained every moment from Tortuga, to Will, and back to Tortuga again while Barbossa explained everything that happened while in custody of Espinoza.

None of it came as much of shock to Elizabeth. She sat and listened intently, asking various questions here or there. The only thing that surprised her was Jack's wildly foolish idea to let Barbossa shoot him.

"A pretty big risk, considering you and Will had been on shaky ground before the battle at the cove." She chuckled.

"Even bigger, not knowing just what you had written in that letter, but desperate times and all that" He shrugged and was silent for a moment before speaking again. "So…can we let bygones be bygones?" He asked hopefully, running his hand along her arm.

"I guess." She rolled her eyes.

"Marvelous!" Jack exclaimed, reaching an arm around her shoulders.

"Really, I expected more from you, Swann" Barbossa grunted at her. "Throwing in your lot with him? That's a fairly significant lapse in judgement." He laughed.

"You think I don't already know that?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at Jack who was planting kisses along the side of her face. "Will you stop that?" She pressed, causing everyone to chuckle.

"At least you haven't been stuck on a ship with them for months on end." Bennett replied while he packed his pipe. "You should see the way these two carry on when they think no one is watching."

Elizabeth blushed, and Jack smiled roguishly.

"You don't have to tell me. They've been carrying on for as long as I've known them." Barbossa barked with a smile. "Proper idiots, they were. Wouldn't know how they felt about each other if Cupid's arrows bit them on the ass." He laughed.

"Alright. That's quite enough on that subject. We should discuss our strategy going forward." Elizabeth pleaded.

The laughter died down and they discussed their plan. Everyone agreed that they needed to continue on to the temple. With the threat of the Spanish not far behind and the mysterious guardians still lurking somewhere within the jungle, they put four men on lookout while the rest slept. When the sun rose they quickly gathered their belongings and climbed further up the mountain.

—-

It was another two days before they reached the ancient Incan city. The entire group stopped in their tracks as they beheld the enormity of the structures before them. Great, intricate, stone buildings, a monument to the gods. The very thought that a primitive tribe was able to construct something so magnificent, left the group bewildered.

"Where to now?" Barbossa asked.

Elizabeth pulled out the map and compass and laid them out in front of her. As she lay the compass on top of the parchment, an image came into view. The path led them further up the mountain, over steps built into the side of the mountain.

"This way" Elizabeth said as she led them on.

After only a few hundred paces, the ground began to shake. Rocks began to roll passed, threatening to impale them as they careened down the mountain. No one was able to catch their footing as the ground continued to pitch and roll. All Elizabeth remembered about the next few moments were the crew dropping to the ground just as the Spanish had. Elizabeth had been grabbed from behind by a mysterious figure and the last thing she saw as a sack was lowered over her head, was the image of Jack crawling toward her before losing consciousness himself.


	28. Trapped

**A/N: I really wanted to update sooner, but you know life happens. Anyway, this one is a shorty, but I promise there is much more to come. Thank you all for reading and reviewing (would love a bit more reviewing...cough...wink...) Enjoy! **

**Trapped**

She could only see blackness. Her eyes were open, but there was only blackness.

The ground beneath her was cold. She could feel the smooth stone against her hand, smell the mustiness of dust settling around her, but she could only see blackness.

The absence of light was deeply unsettling.

On hands and knees, she crawled very slowly, feeling her way along the floor toward the wall. Carefully getting to her feet, she ran her hand along the stones, following the length of the wall. She walked for several minutes before realizing she'd been walking in a giant circle, a giant circle that appeared to have no door or any other means of getting in or out.

Elizabeth called into the darkness once or twice asking where she was and why she was being held captive. No one answered. She called out for Jack, hoping he was on his way to spring her from her dank cell. But there was only silence and blackness. She was utterly alone.

Remembering the circumstances that led to this moment, Elizabeth began to worry if Jack or any of the rest of them were even alive. The earth had shaken with such fierce tremors, the structures surrounding them had started to collapse. It seemed as if the mountain was crumbling beneath their feet. And Jack…she remembered him collapsing to the ground, struggling to make his way toward her. _What had happened to him?_ She thought.

Elizabeth leaned back against the stone wall and slid to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. For a brief moment, panic started bubbling up in her gut, afraid she might actually die there in the dark, alone, but she quickly pushed the feeling out of her. If Calypso was right, and she had been so far, Elizabeth had a destiny, and it wasn't to die in a black stone hole.

So she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It was hard to keep track of just how long she'd been stuck in her cozy little pit. She had fallen asleep at some point, but it was impossible to determine duration. Thirst and hunger had settled themselves in quite insistently, so she was certain days had passed, at least. The more time that passed the more she longed for her feather bunk, Jacks arms wrapped securely around her, and the sea rolling gently beneath them. She tried not to let her mind worry, but the image of Jack losing consciousness was burned into her brain. Sleep came again, but it was fitful and restless.

More time passed and the cold, damp air had begun to seep to her core. She tried to keep her body in motion to get the blood flowing through her limbs, but the lack of food and water and decent sleep left her energy lacking, and quickly found herself needing to sit down.

As another day ended, Elizabeth began to realize whomever was keeping her locked up was ensuring she was well and truly beaten down. Intending her vulnerable state to allow them to garner whatever they wanted from her with very little struggle.

She was determined to stay strong. Elizabeth Swann was not weak. _I am not weak_. She muttered to herself over and over again as she succumbed to sleep once again.

She woke to a creaking sound. A high pitched squeak. Old hinges. She lifted her head, straining to better hear the noise. Suddenly, a warm amber glow appeared above her. It emanated from an opening no bigger than the circumference of a barrel.

"Hello?" She yelled up. "Is someone up there? Jack?"

No one answered and no one appeared in the opening.

"Who the bloody hell is up there?" She yelled. "Let me out of here!"

Again, no one answered. She strained her ears again, trying to listen for any voices or other noise, but it was silent. They were taunting her. She was sure of it.

"If you're not going to let me out of here, you could at least send down some food or water." She said defiantly, refusing to sound defeated.

The amber glow disappeared and the hatch door was closed. _Bugger_. Her situation was becoming exceedingly more frustrating. Hope now dangled just out of reach. It wouldn't be long before she cracked up completely. _No. I am NOT weak._ She said again.

Just then, the hatch door opened again. The amber glow spilling into her prison. Suddenly she was no long bathed in amber as a small shadow loomed above her. Something was being lowered into her cell. _A bucket? _

As soon as the bucket was in reach she grabbed it. Water sloshed over the sides. Setting it on the ground, she gulped handfuls greedily. When she had her fill of the delicious liquid, she looked back toward the opening.

Realization hit her square in the face. _I could climb this rope. I could get out of here._

She gave the rope a tug. It was taught, clearly tied to something. She would have to make quick work of the climb. It was at least 20 feet to the opening and at any moment they could cut her loose, leaving her hungry, thirsty, and injured.

A risk worth taking.

She made it about seven feet before the rope slackened, sending her tumbling to the floor, the remainder of the rope following suit.

"Bloody Hell." She said, getting to her feet. The hatch door was still open, but, again, no figure could be seen. "I will find a way out of here." She yelled at the opening.

Very quickly the hatch door was shut. Elizabeth turned and moved toward the wall when she tripped over the bucket of water, sending it careening across the floor.

"No." She whispered. "No. No. No. No. No. No." She pleaded, tears brimming as she searched for the bucket, hoping to salvage a few droplets.

She let out a guttural scream of frustration, and for a very brief moment considered using the rope for a different sort of way out. She wished more than ever that Jack was with her. He would know just how to keep her calm in this situation. More than likely, he would whisper encouragingly in her ear while planting soft kisses across her face. It was infuriating the way he could distract her. She chuckled, and her resolve strengthened as she imagined Jack's voice chanting her mantra.

_You are not weak. You are the bloody pirate king._

_—_

The next morning, at least she assumed it was the next morning, the hatch door opened again. A second bucket was lowered into the pit. This time, Elizabeth made sure to make note of every square inch of her surroundings, taking advantage of what little light she'd been privy. Taking a look at the surrounding walls, she noticed some of the stones protruded enough for her to possibly grab hold and climb her way out.

As the bucket reached her, she peered in and practically burst into tears at the sight of food. It was a small bit of some kind of meat, but after going several days without food and very little water, she would have eaten just about anything. She yanked the bucket toward her and shoveled the offering into her mouth, all the while imagining the disgusted look on her father's face had he been alive to witness the event. Again, the rope was dropped into the pit and the hatch door was closed, leaving her in total darkness.

Once she had finished eating, she wiped her hands on her breeches and felt her way toward the wall. She tested the first few stones, gauging whether or not she could gain a foot hold. Making her way upward with moderate success, she decided to venture to the top.

She waited, to the best of her knowledge, about an hour before she started to make the climb. She wanted to make sure she was physically prepared to climb all that way, and, hopefully, give whoever was above enough time to bugger off somewhere else.

Before she started her trek, she decided to tie one of the buckets to her waist in case she should need a blunt object to hit someone with. _Not the most ideal of weapons, but better to be armed with something instead of nothing, _She thought.

Elizabeth began to slowly climb up the wall. Stone by stone, she inched her way further and further upward. Five feet, ten feet, fifteen feet, she was nearly there. Her arms were weak, there was no doubt about that. She had little strength to give, and it was dwindling quickly. Twenty feet and she knew she should be close to the hatch door, she prayed she was close to the hatch door. She had yet to reach the ceiling and she started to get nervous. _How much further?_ Her arms were trembling, but she had to keep pushing. She looked up, straining her eyes, hoping to see a tiny bit of light seeping through the tiny opening, but the blackness prevailed.

In the moments she was concentrating on seeing above her, she lost her footing. She dropped a foot or so before catching herself. She clung tightly to the wall. White knuckled, she gripped with all of her might, the stones she managed to latch onto as she plummeted.

Dangling precariously, she struggled to find another stone to place her feet. She could feel her arms about to give way and forced herself not to panic. Taking one deep breath, her foot managed to find a stone to place her weight.

She took a moment to catch her breath and continued to climb.

It was another few feet before she finally reached the top of the pit. She reached above her, feeing for the wood of the hatch door. She quickly realized it was a bit farther from the wall than she had expected and would have to lean out a bit to reach it.

Carefully she leaned away from the wall, maintaining a tight grip as she reached for the door. She pushed up on the door slightly. It popped up a few inches before collapsing back down, and she breathed a deep sigh of relief that it wasn't locked. It was a gamble in itself just to make the climb, but to hope that the door would also be unlocked was a gamble of even longer odds.

She pushed the door a bit harder and it jumped into a more permanent open position. When she did, however, there was no amber glow and relief pored over her again. No one would know she was escaping. The tricky part of her great plan was actually getting the rest of her body through the opening. Somehow she was going to have to jump from the wall and grab onto the ledge of the opening, in the dark, and pull herself up. A daunting task, but there was no other alternative. She would die if she stayed put. So she felt around the opening, and determined just where she would need to place her hands, and how much she would have to push off from the wall. She would only get once chance, and she would have to use all of her remaining strength to pull herself up through the opening or else meet an even untimelier demise than starving to death.

She took a moment to steady herself, attempting to transfer the majority of her weight into her legs to give her arms a break. She inhaled deeply several times, trying to calm her mind. For all her bravery and devil-may-care attitude, she was quite nervous, but any mount of uncertainty would lead to certain failure, so she cleared her mind the best she could. After one last calming breath she reached out with one hand and pushed off from the wall with her foot. Her hand grasped the edge of the opening, followed quickly by the other. Swinging slightly, she pulled herself up with all of the energy she had left. Collapsing on the floor above the pit, she began to laugh wildly.

She lay on her back for a short while, catching her breath and steadying the rapid beating of her heart when she was very suddenly engulfed in light as several torches were lit around the chamber.

Elizabeth shot up quickly, surveying the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow looming near her, which was soon followed by a figure stepping into the light.

"Elizabeth Swann. At last."


	29. Into the Temple

**A/N: Apologies again for the long delay. Thank you for continuing to read and Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. They mean so much to me. I hope you enjoy! Happy Holidays =)**

**Into the Temple**

_It wasn't possible._

The man stood tall above her, arms crossed. He was dressed in a dark robe that covered his arms, the hem of the garment barely touched the floor. He had all the appearance of a type of monk, yet carried himself more like an ancient warrior.

"Alewar?" She asked as the dark skinned shadow moved closer, her own face stricken with shock and a small amount of fear.

_How could it be him? How could he be here?_

He didn't seem at all surprised that she had escaped. He threw his head back and gave a hearty laugh at the expression on her face.

"I'm afraid you have mistaken me for my brother." He said after controlling his laughter. "I am Lalo." Lalo reached his hand out and pulled Elizabeth to her feet.

"I'd introduce myself, but it would appear you already know who I am." She said as she wiped the dust from her clothes.

"Yes, we've been expecting you. Come." He said, indicating she should follow him.

"We?" Elizabeth asked, taking a torch from off of the wall, mimicking Lalo's actions as they left the chamber.

"If you have met my brother, then you know to what 'we' I am referring." He answered. Elizabeth took note of how well spoken he was. There was no fathomable way English was his native language and yet he spoke as if he'd been the one to grow up in the Governor's household.

"Then you are the ones who have been terrorizing me and my crew?" She said with no uncertain amount of venom.

"Simple tricks, nothing more. None of them were ever in any real danger." He answered with the flick of his hand, as if these sorts of incidents were entirely normal.

"Really? So Tobias, the man you dragged into the jungle the first night we spent on the beach, nothing happened to him? He's safe?" She asked accusingly.

"Safe."

The words flew out her mouth faster than she could think of them. "And the men I was with during the earthquake, they are safe too?"

Lalo stopped walking and turned toward her. "Some of them are safe, yes."

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat. "The rest?" She managed to squeak out.

"Did not survive."

Elizabeth found herself desperately clutching the fabric of his robe. "Who survived?!" She screamed at him.

He gave a sigh and gently removed her hands from his person. "Let us keep walking."

"No! I will not take another step until you tell me." She stood with her arms crossed.

"We do not have time for games, girl." He moved toward her quickly, towering over her, his cheery disposition suddenly stone hard. "There is much to do. You'll have time for questions later."

"I only have one." She added softly, her eyes never leaving his.

The man softened almost instantly and sighed. "You wish to know about Jack Sparrow?"

She nodded.

"He lives." Lalo said before continuing to walk down the passage way. "He's been asking for you."

Elizabeth gave a deep sigh of relief and followed behind quickly, keeping her remaining questions to herself.

Lalo led her through a seemingly never ending passage way. It was dark. Elizabeth could only see the man in front of her, but nothing beyond that. They walked in silence for quite awhile before Elizabeth spoke again.

"Are you taking me to see him?" She asked him.

"Who?" Lalo asked quirking an eyebrow up at her.

"Jack. Are you taking me to him?" She asked with a small tinge of hope.

Lalo laughed. "No."

"Where is he? Will I be able to see him soon?"

"I told you already. Save your questions for when you will truly need them. I cannot provide you with such trivial information."

"Alright then, where _are_ you taking me?"

"Curious bird, aren't you?" He laughed again at her.

"Don't patronize me. I have traveled halfway across the world to get here with no shortage of hardships. You came after my crew, kept me locked up in a pit for days without food, and now are dragging me through a passage way that could, for all I know, be leading me to my death. I'd say I've earned the right to be curious, after all it is my destiny, isn't it?" She spat at him.

Lalo stopped walking and narrowed his eyes at her, before grinning widely. "Teague was right about you. You have fire."

Elizabeth looked up at him with genuine surprise.

"How do you know Captain Teague?" She asked.

"Any answer I give you is only going to lead to more questions, and it would be better explained by someone else. I promise you will find the answers you seek very shortly." He said laying a hand on her shoulder in a fatherly gesture. "For now, let's keep walking."

"Will you take me to see Jack, after?" She asked with hopeful naïveté.

"You love that man?" He asked her.

"Very much." She said resolutely.

Lalo gave a thoughtful pause, considering her answer. "You may see him. After."

"Thank you."

Many questions still swirled around Elizabeth's head, but she kept them to herself as she continued to walk down the passageway next to Lalo.

Eventually, they came upon two rather large wooden doors, carved with strange symbols on either side, similar to the ones that had appeared on her map.

"Are you ready?" Lalo asked her.

She nodded, not sure whether she was actually ready for what lay before her, but there was no turning back. Not now. Her curiosity would be the death of her someday.

Lalo nodded back at her and pushed the doors open, ushering her inside.

Behind the doors was another passageway with sconces lining the walls. Different from the round stones that made up the other rooms, these walls were made of an intensely white marble. So white, it almost seemed blue as she passed by. She shivered as she grazed her fingertips across the cool surface. The hallway led them to a large chamber. Several large torches filled the room with a warm light. In the center were steps leading to a small pool of water, steam rising over the top of it. Just beyond the pool were eleven stone seats, five on either side of one larger seat. Elizabeth marveled at the beauty of it. _How could such ancient, primitive peoples create something so elegant?_ She asked herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Lalo spoke. "I've brought the girl." He said aloud.

Nine men similarly dressed to Lalo entered the chamber. They looked straight ahead as they walked single file to the stone seats. No one looked at her. Didn't even steal a glance. They remained standing, until the last man that entered began walking toward Lalo.

Elizabeth was amazed to find them in perfect synchronization as they sat down on the stones. _Perhaps they were communicating with their minds?_ She thought, then laughed inwardly at how utterly absurd the idea of that was.

"Elizabeth Swann, King of Pirates." The man said with equal amounts of curiosity and derision. He was fair skinned, considerably handsome, and had a surprisingly pleasant german accent. What such a man was doing in the middle of the Peruvian jungle, Elizabeth wasn't so certain.

"Yes." Was all she could say. She wasn't sure if he was asking her a question or just stating fact.

"We've been expecting you for quite some time."

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." She said a small smirk finding its way onto her face.

The man narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before erupting in laughter. The other men followed suit.

"Delightful!" The man exclaimed. "Lalo, you may sit" he gestured for him to take his place amongst the others. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Christian. Leader and founder of this most ancient and sacred order." He said grabbing Elizabeth's hand and pressing a chaste kiss to her knuckles.

"Sacred Order?" She asked snatching her hand away. Christian gave her a sly smile.

"We have existed for hundreds of years all over the world, seeking out the powerful gifts the Gods left behind, protecting humanity from further corruption and destruction." He said clasping his hands behind his back.

Realization hit Elizabeth square in the face. "So, it's you then? You're the man Calypso told me of?"

"Calypso told you of me?" He asked, mildly surprised.

"She said you sacrificed yourself, to rid the world of magic once and for all."

He smiled at her. It was unsettling as much as it was bewitching. The man held a certain charm. He turned his back on her before speaking again. "Before there were guardians, the God of Chaos unleashed a man on the world, hell bent on seeing it destroyed." He turned back toward her beginning to circle around her like a shark. "It nearly was. There was no one to challenge him, save for one person." He said stopping behind her.

"You." She said over her shoulder.

"Very good." He returned to stand in front of her.

"But how are you still alive?"

"With great sacrifice comes great reward. The Gods gave me a choice. I could pass on from this world peacefully and with honor or they would permit me to select certain abilities on the condition that I would use them to continue to protect the world. I'm sure you can guess what path I chose."

"Care to enumerate exactly what those abilities are?" She challenged him.

"Not quite yet." He said looking at his fingers in a way that reminded Elizabeth greatly of Jack. Which could only mean this man was purposefully withholding information.

"If you are all powerful, or even semi powerful, what do you need me for?" Elizabeth asked slightly puzzled. _Why should the gods need a pirate king when they have an immortal to do their bidding? _She thought to herself.

"The gods have abandoned us in our quest to protect humanity, and as we speak, all of the great world powers are fighting to find what we've been trying to keep secret for years in order to secure their power over the world. After your scuffle with Jones, they learned that sailors' myths and other fantastical legends hold more truth than they ever knew."

"Was it not the gods who chose me? Isn't that why I was sent here?"

Christian walked toward the pool of water in the center of the room and sat himself upon the steps. "They did choose you. Long ago, in fact. You're to take my place as humanity's savior, and I'm to train you as I have others before you. The gods wish to have no more hand in the matter."

"Why me?" She asked maintaining her position across the room. She felt uneasy, and wanted to give herself the opportunity to run if needed.

Christian ran his and just above the surface of the water, barely skimming his fingers across the warm liquid. "A question I asked myself when Teague first brought you to our attention. I was skeptical the gods had chosen a woman to save us all. In my experience, your kind has quite the opposite effect." Elizabeth scoffed at him, rolling her eyes dramatically. "But we've kept close watch on you, dear, and you are exactly who we've been looking for. You, Elizabeth Swann, King of Pirates" He looked up at her "posses something no one under my tutelage has ever been able to achieve."

"Which is?"

"An understanding of all worlds: The seedy underbelly of society, your pirates and thieves, as well as the upper caste, politicians, and the like. You are able to blend in quite well in whatever situation you are thrown into. You're resourceful, powerful, and…persuasive." He added with a leer.

"So you really expect me to believe that of all the people in the world, I am the one who is destined to save it?"

"Why are you so reluctant, Miss Swann?"

"There seem to be a lot of cogs in play here, and at no time was I the one to choose my own destiny."

"On the contrary. I would say every choice that you've made has led you here." He returned his gaze to the steaming pool. "You just didn't know it."

"Somehow I doubt that. Tell me, Christian, how is it you came to be acquainted with Captain Teague?" She slithered toward the steps intending to catch him off guard.

It worked. She surprised and intrigued him all at once. Elizabeth seemed wild to him with her nostrils flared, and eyes wide like a jungle cat ready to pounce on its prey. _A spectacular creature _he thought. "So many questions, must you know every little detail?"

"I was promised answers." She gave a look toward Lalo.

"A long time ago Teague, though he wasn't a captain then, traveled here with another sea hardened Captain. He was asked to join the order, but refused. Said he needed to return home to his wife and son. The Captain however agreed, took the gift we gave him and used it to terrorize the seas."

"Blackbeard." She said almost automatically, looking away thoughtfully.

"Yes."

Remembering his words, Elizabeth turned back toward Christian. "Why did Teague send me to you? Did he know I was to fulfill your prophecy, to open that chest and save civilization?"

"That I cannot answer for certain. It seemed to me he believed you to be lacking purpose and thought you might find solace amongst us. But I feel I should make a correction on your assumptions about the prophecy. Opening the chest is merely a last resort. In the event that we are not able to protect the world of our own accord, there is a chest that only you can open as deemed by Calypso herself."

"What happens when the chest is opened?"

"Absolute power. It will consume you and any remaining power left in this realm, then it will destroy itself and you along with it." He said rather nonchalantly for Elizabeth's tastes.

"Oh." There it was again, that sinking feeling. The feeling that suddenly everything was falling apart around her. The feeling that plagued her after she left Jack to the Kraken, when she discovered her father's death at world's end, when Davy Jones stabbed Will, when she lost her child, when she thought she'd lost Jack, and every subsequent moment since they set foot in this infernal country.

"Not the destiny you imagined for yourself, is it?" He almost sounded amused as he noticed the pained look on Elizabeth's face.

"Oh, no. It's bloody fantastic." She quipped.

"Don't worry, Miss Swann, it is only a last resort, and I intend to keep it that way." He chuckled softly "We only wish you to join us in our cause. Allow me to train you. There are many artifacts that yet remain to be discovered, and we could use your talents. Once we succeed, there will be no need for you to open the chest." Christian had moved toward her resting his hand upon her shoulder.

"I suspect there's a catch?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"You would have to cut all ties from your life as you know it now. Elizabeth Swann would no longer exist."

Elizabeth turned from him, mulling over the thought. How could she completely let go of everything she knew? "If I refuse?" She turned and asked.

"You're free to leave, of course, but you'd honestly give up having a real purpose, doing actual good in the world. For what? The Pirate?" He asked accusingly.

"I love him." Her answer was resolute which did not please Christian.

"He lied to you."

"He was trying to protect me." In that moment, Elizabeth wondered if there was ever going to be a time where she didn't have to flock to the defense of Captain jack Sparrow.

"By not trusting you? Throwing you directly into the line of fire? He knew you were a part of something bigger, but never considered the danger it could put you in." Christian's anger began to rise.

"I believe it's a bit more complicated than that. Regardless, I trust him implicitly."

"Seems foolish. Almost as foolish as believing you could take on an entire Spanish armada by finding a magical chest."

"The chest does exist. We could have used it to destroy them."

"But not without destroying yourself in the process. He knew that too."

"He wouldn't let anything happen to me, and you can't convince me otherwise. So if you would like me to join you in this battle, I would try a different tactic." She knew he was playing her, trying to force her hand. This strange man before her had a temper, she could see that. And his lack of time spent among people was beginning to show.

"You are a smart one, but not that smart." He paused and turned back toward his brethren who were looking upon the scene with concern written on their faces. "If you really love him, you'll let him go." He said in a deep gravelly voice, though this time it was controlled, not so erratic as before.

"Why must I forgo everything I know?" She pleaded. "It is me you are after, and it is what and who I know that have made me into this person."

"Any distractions will keep you from doing what you were destined to do, and Jack will die along with the rest of them. Is that what you want?"

"I think you're being a touch dramatic, don't you?"

"What do you think will happen if the East India Company or the Spanish Navy were to get their hands on such ancient power? Do you think your pirate will be safe holed up in Shipwreck Cove?"

"I can't turn my back on him. He won't understand."

"It is your choice, Miss Swann, but I will warn you only this once: if you leave here today, he will die. That much has been foreseen."

"There isn't much of a choice, then, is there?"

—

It had been days since Jack and Hector were thrown into their cell, days since they had seen Elizabeth dragged off by that group of men, days since they'd spoken to anyone. The men that brought them food and water never spoke a word. It was clear to Jack they weren't with the Spanish, but any question he asked was promptly ignored. The only time he'd get a glimmer of a reaction was if he mentioned Elizabeth's name. The men would look at each other strangely for a moment before continuing their task. It was infuriating.

Barbossa did his best to keep him calm, but the longer they stayed, the more anxious Jack became. Jack paced the length of the cell day and night, back and forth, nearly carving out a trench along his path. Everyday Jack would check for weaknesses in the bars, hoping to find a means of escape. He would wear himself down to the point of exhaustion, but never slept.

Hector soon lost all patience as Jack began his daily routine."Would you sit down! Walking back and forth is doing no good for anyone." Barbossa said leaning up against the back of the cell.

"Does me." Jack turned to him with a scowl.

"I'm sure she's fine, Jack. They need her, they're not going to kill her."

"You don't know that. I need to get out of here."

"In case you haven't noticed, lad, we're trapped here. Those bars aren't coming lose today anymore than they were yesterday."

"Why are they even keeping us here? Feeding us? Why don't they just kill us and get it over with?" Jack hit the bars with frustrated fists.

"Come on, Jack, you're smarter than that. Leverage. They can't get Elizabeth to do what they want without something to ensure her cooperation."

Just then, they heard the familiar jingle of keys that signaled someone coming to bring them food. Jack shoulders stiffened as he readied to unleash a barrage of questions on their captors, but it was not the usual guard who was coming toward them, the hooded figure was much more slight. Jack squinted, clutching the bars with thinly veiled hope. His shoulders released when she approached the bars, removing her hood.

"Lizzie." He whispered reaching for her hands. "You're all right?"

She could barely look at him as she answered softly "Yes," and relished in the warmness her hands felt in his.

"What is it?" He looked at her questioningly, noticing the pain on her face.

A million times she went over in her head how to tell Jack of the choice she made, why she made it, but knowing Jack, there was no possibly way he would leave this place without her.

Her heart was breaking, knowing what she was about to do to him, but she had to make him believe it was over…for his sake…so he would live…

"Did you know what would happen if I opened the chest?" She asked him hesitantly, eyes never meeting his.

"I had my suspicions, but I wasn't going to let you do anything without having all of the information."

"Why didn't you tell me about your deal with the Spanish?" She asked more accusingly, trying to find her courage.

"I told you, I thought I could get us out of the predicament before it became too problematic."

"Did you not consider my well being or that maybe I could have helped you? Do you not trust me?"

"Lizzie, I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want to lose you."

Elizabeth cringed. She was hoping for a more evasive Jack Sparrow answer, not a declaration of love. Why was he making this harder?

"But you could have lost me all the same." She insisted. "If I had known what we'd be walking into I may not have come on this ridiculous journey." The frustration was evident in her voice, and a single tear ran down her cheek.

"I'm sorry" He whispered, defeated.

"Far be it from me to meddle in places I don't belong," Barbossa chimed in "However, from my vantage point, he was trying to protect you at all costs."

"Then he should have told me the truth." She said wiping her face and straightening her back.

Jack grabbed her hands through the bars again. "Lizzie, I love you" He whispered low. "I've shown you that much, haven't I?"

"I know you do, and you have, but I can't trust you, Jack. So, now, I have to do what's best for me." She put her hand to his cheek.

"What are you saying?" Jack asked her, hurt pouring from his eyes.

Elizabeth leaned toward the bars, her face inches from his own. "Goodbye" She whispered, before kissing him deeply.

After a few moments, Jack's body went limp and Elizabeth released him, allowing his body to fall to the floor.

Barbossa looked at her with equal amounts of confusion and fear as she turned her focus toward him.

"Please don't let him do anything stupid. He's not to come back for me. He'll die if he does. I made my choice and I made it to protect him, to protect all of you, but he mustn't know. Tell him to forget me. Promise me!" She said frantically clutching the bars.

"I'll do my best."

Elizabeth nodded and fled down the passage way, her robes flapping furiously behind her.

—-

The next morning, Jack woke with a blistering headache and blurred vision. His mouth was dry as cotton. He rubbed at his eyes furiously trying to gain his focus. In the process he knocked a plate of food across the room, startling Barbossa awake.

"What?! What's Happening?!" Hector asked with a start. Seeing Jack fumbling around on all fours allowed him to relax. "Ah, It's just you. Finally decided to wake up, did ye?" Barbossa asked him.

"What happened to me?" Jack asked incredibly confused. The events of the previous day had conveniently faded from his memory.

"I think she poisoned you."

"Who?"

"Elizabeth."

That seemed to be the trigger word, as everything flooded back to Jack like a tidal wave, leaving him breathless on the floor.

"So you remember now?" Barbossa asked as Jack sat back leaning against the wall of the cell.

"How could she…" Jack couldn't utter the words.

"How could she?!" Barbossa barked loudly, "Jack, you've been wrong a great deal in your lifetime, but you were always right about one thing: That girl is pirate, inside and out, so her actions should be of no surprise to you."

Jack shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he opened his eyes again Lalo stood before them.

"It is time for you to leave." Lalo said smoothly.

Jack flung himself against the bars. "You! This is your fault! You made us come here! You turned her against me! You bloody bastard, I'll kill you!" He reached for Lalo, trying to grab at his robe, but was just out of reach.

"Tsk tsk, Sparrow. There is so much you don't understand. I have done nothing. My brother may have been the one to urge you to this place, but she made a choice."

"Your brother?" Jack asked, confused.

"You speak of Alewar, I am Lalo. I am here to escort you back to your ship."

"I'm not leaving without Elizabeth."

"I'm afraid that is not an option. You have fulfilled your duty in bringing her to us, and now you are no longer welcome here."

"I want to talk to her." Jack thrashed against the bars, "Please, let me see her."

"She has a higher purpose now, one that does not include you or your pirate brethren, and you will not convince her otherwise. Now, I can release you and grant you safe departure from this city or you can rot here. That is a choice you can make."

"If it's all the same to you, I'll take that free passage." Barbossa interjected, getting to his feet. He turned back toward Jack, gripping him roughly by the arm. "Don't be a fool, Jack. It's over. Let us be well rid of this godforsaken place." He growled.

Reluctantly, Jack nodded in agreement, relaxing his stance.

"I think we are ready now." Barbossa turned back to Lalo.

Lalo led the two men and the remaining crew to the edge of the ancient city.

"This path will lead you straight to the beach, and to your ship. You'll have no further trouble from us."

Hector and the crew began walking, followed lastly by Jack. Lalo stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "She asked me to give you something."

"Oh, and what's that?" Jack asked haughtily.

Lalo handed Jack the glass bottle still containing The Black Pearl. "It should be of more use to you now."

"How's that? It's still in the bottle."

"True enough, but when you reach the sea, I'm sure you'll find it much easier to break." With that, Lalo disappeared into the jungle. Jack quickly caught up to Barbossa who lagged behind a bit to keep an eye on Jack.

"What was that about?" Hector asked him.

"Looks like we won't be leaving entirely empty handed. He said I'd be able to free her now." Jack said, lifting the bottle.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?"

"It's either that or Elizabeth is more cruel than I could have ever imagined." Jack added with solemn humor.

Hector clapped Jack on the back and continued down the path. "Come on. We've a long road ahead."

Jack nodded, following his companion down the dirt path.


	30. Her Training is Complete

**A/N: It has been far too long since I've updated, and for that I am deeply sorry. So to make up for it, I've made this chapter extra long. Thank you to all those who have followed, favorited and reviewed. I hope you enjoy what happens next. **

**Her Training is Complete**

She watched the Red Devil cast off from atop the cliffs overlooking the beach. Her heart weighed heavily in her chest. No matter how many times she tried to convince herself she was doing the right thing, something wasn't right about letting Jack walk out of her life…again, but she couldn't dwell on that now. She watched the tiny speck of a ship disappear on the horizon and got to her feet. Elizabeth stared into the churning waters below, feeling great trepidation over what was to happen next. Christian told her she needed to cleave herself of everything that connected her to her former self. Anything and everything that could distract her from the duty she'd taken on was to be discarded. A feat, that would not be so easy. Jack had always stressed to her the importance of remembering who she was, that doing so would bring her strength, courage, and now she was expected to forget all of it. Who would she become then?

Elizabeth couldn't say what compelled her to keep going. It might have been instinct, curiosity, or something else entirely, but no matter how many times her heart screamed "No!", she pressed onward. She picked up a bundle of clothing from the ground; her breeches, linen shirt, boots and sailor's coat, tossing them into the water. She removed her sword from its scabbard, a gift from Jack, beauty in every detail, made specifically for her. She held it in her hand, rotating it in the sunlight, and watched the beams bounce off it's sleek metal surface. A shame she had to be rid of it, she thought to herself, it never saw a proper battle. She tossed the sword into the churning depths below. All that remained was Jack's compass. She stared at it in her palm for what seemed like hours, never opening it. She knew where it would point, and all resolve would be lost if she were to lay eyes upon the needle's direction, but she didn't have the stomach to get rid of his most prized possession. Laying the compass on a nearby rock, Elizabeth bent down and dug a small hole in the earth beneath it. She clutched the compass tightly to her chest as the last of her tears fell down her cheeks. Elizabeth decided to bury the compass, ensuring she would always have a way to find Jack. She rose and wiped the dirt from her robes. When she turned to head toward the temple she found herself face to face with Lalo, looking upon her with a knowing smirk. Elizabeth gasped in surprise.

"You startled me." She looked down, hoping to avoid his gaze, hoping he didn't see what she had done.

"Apologies, Miss Swann. I'm here to escort you back to the temple. Are we finished here?"

"Yes." She answered with one last, sad look back toward the ocean.

"Don't worry, miss, I didn't see what you buried there." He said.

Elizabeth gave him a nervous smile, keeping her gaze trained on the ground in front of her.

"And I can't very well inform anyone of that which I did not see." He said with a large grin, putting a comforting hand upon her shoulder.

Elizabeth let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and grinned back at the man. "Thank you, Lalo."

The two walked in companionable silence for the remainder of the walk back to the temple, clouds gathering ominously above their heads

—

When Jack and the rest of the crew finally made it to the beach, the only ship in sight was the Red Devil.

"The Spanish must have fled. Maybe our luck is turning around after all?" Barbossa observed.

"I wouldn't count on it." Jack answered back grimly.

—

"So you merely have to break it open?" Barbossa asked with little patience.

"That's the impression I got from our mysterious friend." Jack answered with a shrug, staring over the railing of the Devil.

"Alright, then. Let's bust it open." Barbossa urged him.

Jack slammed the bottle against the gunwale and the glass disintegrated into tiny shards that rained upon the water. The tiny ship inside sunk beneath the waves and he tossed what remained of the glass along with it. All at once, the few clouds that littered the sky gathered closely in a gray mass, thunder and lightning echoed throughout the sea air.

The water began to churn violently and before long The Black Pearl, in all of its glory, crested and bobbed gently upon the water next to the Red Devil. Just as quickly as they came together, the clouds dissipated and the skies brightened.

"Well, there she is." Jack said with subdued pride.

"There she is." Barbossa echoed, practically salivating over the sight of the ship.

"Go ahead and taker her." Jack said to Barbossa with utmost sincerity.

"You're not serious?" Barbossa asked incredulously.

"She was always more yours than mine. Take her."

"Jack, you sold your damned soul for that ship."

"Do you want me to fight you for it? What do I need with two ships?"

"Of the two, the Devil is the one you want to keep?"

"It's all I have left of her." Jack answered quietly. "So take the Pearl, sail it to the Caspian sea, sail it to the Americas, sail the damned thing back to Shipwreck cove for all I care." He blurted out angrily.

"Come now, Jack. Melancholy doesn't suit you. Elizabeth is a pirate, a female one at that, a deadly untrustworthy combination, as I told you before. Given her past transgressions, I feel you should have been more prepared for something like this to happen."

"It was different with us."

"All evidence to the contrary, lad. She's as wild and untamable as the sea, and has always been a fickle beast. You're not the first man to fall prey to her feminine wiles."

"If you are attempting to make me feel better, it's not working."

"Captain," Gibbs interrupted. "There's a ship just around the rocks ahead, Jonathan spotted their topsail."

"The Spanish" Jack grumbled. "You deal with it." He said before turning toward the captain's cabin.

Barbossa ran after him. "You need to snap out of it. Last I checked, the Spanish are still expecting you to deliver on your deal." He insisted, turning Jack around by the shoulder.

"I did deliver on my deal! They weren't able to hold on to her any more than I was." Jack retorted, frustration growing..

"Then, they'll kill you."

"Put me out of my misery, then!" He finally yelled back.

Barbossa grabbed Jack by the lapels of his coat. "I did not put my neck on the line retrieving you from World's End for you to end up back there…willingly…" He added "Fight for something."

Jack paused deep in thought and laughed quietly to himself. After all they'd been through, he never imagined he and Barbossa would ever stop being enemies and, dare he say it, become friends. After breathing in a deep sigh he answered "Take a handful of men over to the Pearl. Take no prisoners, leave no survivors" Jack added with deadly seriousness.

"There may be hope for you yet, Sparrow." Barbossa laughed before departing.

El Neptuno awaited them just beyond the cliffs, an oversized galleon heavily armed and heavily crewed.

The two ships were able to overtake them quite easily, leaving only destruction and death in their wake and plenty of loot ripe for the picking.

"What now?" Barbossa yelled from the deck of the Pearl

"Shipwreck Cove, I suppose. Might be best to sail together. I doubt very much that we've seen the last of them." Jack said, staring off into the horizon.

"Aye" Barbossa agreed.

—

On the walk back to the temple, Elizabeth took great notice of her surroundings; the winding path, trees that she'd be able to distinguish from others, and rock formations that would help her find the way out should she need it. Stride for stride, Lalo walked beside her equally as silent, but kept a subtly trained eye on her. Elizabeth pretended not to notice. It wasn't until they reached the doors leading back into the sacred chamber that lalo broke the silence.

"You are unsure of your decision." He said more than asked.

Elizabeth tried to hide the uncertainty from her answer. "No…no, of course not."

"You do not have to lie to me."

"It's not that, it's just…it's difficult to explain."

"You have betrayed your pirate before?"

"How did you know that?"

"Ashamedly, I overhead a conversation between him and the older pirate. It can't have been easy to have done what you did."

"It was the only way he would leave me here."

"Great sacrifices must be made for the good of the many."

"Doesn't make it any easier."

"Time heals all wounds, Miss Swann. He'll learn that as well, but the next step of this journey is going to be most difficult, and you will need to be absolutely certain you are ready." Lalo added as they approached the doors of the temple.

"I am ready. For whatever comes next. I know that at least." Elizabeth straightened her back and lifted her chin. She was certain about that, and she pushed any remaining thoughts of Jack to the most recessed corner of her mind for the moment.

"Good. Then let us go forth." Lalo pushed the door open.

Elizabeth paused before entering and turned toward Lalo. "What happens next?" She asked hesitantly.

"You're rebirth." He stated matter of factly before ushering through the doorway.

—

5 years later… Dubrovnik…

The rain was coming down in sheets. The wind howled ominously as it ripped through the narrow alleyways between the tall brick buildings. A hooded figure hid in the shadows watching as an older gentleman wobbled his way toward a red door hidden amongst the structures. She'd been following the man for weeks. Everyday the same: In the morning he would go down to the docks to sell fish and other wares, in the afternoon he would walk to the pub, and stayed until very late into the evening before stumbling back to his home. She never thought the day would come when he'd deviate from his normal path and for that she was grateful. She was beginning to grow bored of her daily routine.

The man seemed to sense he was being watched. He looked left and right down the alley, but was unable to spot his watcher. He raised his hand to the door and gave a quick knock. A warm glow spilled forth as the door opened. A large sack of coins was exchanged for a rolled up piece of parchment. Shoving the parchment under his robes, the man straightened his gait and hurried down the alley, keeping a carefully trained eye over his shoulder.

Elizabeth quickly followed. Deftly, she found herself climbing up the side of a brick building. Finding foot holds out of nothing, she quickly made her way toward a window sill and swung herself up to the rooftop. Like a cat hunting for its next meal, she stalked the man on his journey, jumping from rooftop to rooftop undetected, stealthily. She looked ahead, figuring his destination as she noticed two large bronze doors at the end of the alley. She ran ahead dropping down into the darkest part of the passage, waiting to pounce. He reached her hiding place and in one quick movement, she assailed the man, knocking him to the ground, pulled out a knife and sliced a deep cut through the main artery of his thigh. Quickly, she held her thumb firmly over the wound while pinning the man to the ground "Who sent you for this?" She demanded, pulling the parchment from his robes.

"No one." He managed to choke out, writhing as much as she would allow before pinning him harder.

"You will tell me what I want to know." She hissed, pressing her forearm harder upon his throat.

"I don't know anything, I swear." The man cried out

"Tsk, tsk. You do know what happens when I remove my thumb, don't you?" The man nodded.

"Brave man. How much are you being paid to know nothing?"

"Enough."

"Enough." She echoed. "You're willing to die for enough?" She said threatening to remove her thumb

"Please, please. I'm just a messenger. They don't provide me with information."

"Who doesn't provide you with information?" She asked sternly. The man stayed silent. Elizabeth removed her thumb, but continued to pin him by his shoulders. Taking her knife, she let it hover over his thigh. "Perhaps a second cut will loosen your tongue?"

The man shut his eyes tightly as he screamed out in frustration.

"Come now, sir, this will be much easier for you if you just give me a name." She said gently.

"What does it matter? I'm dead either way."

"Not so, sir. I will ensure you survive the night."

"Sparrow." He finally blurted out. Elizabeth was taken aback momentarily.

"Sparrow?" She asked him. "You're certain?"

"Yes, yes, I swear it."

Elizabeth stood, and with parchment in hand, disappeared into the darkness. The man screamed out "Wait, come back! You can't leave me here. You said I would live!" as he lay in an ever growing pool of his own blood.

Ignoring his cries, Elizabeth rounded the corner and removed her robe, shoving it underneath her arm. She walked casually toward the nearest apothecary and banged her fist wildly on the door. The door swung open and a disheveled man stood before her. "What is it?" He asked.

"You have to go quickly, a man was attacked in the next alley! He's bleeding everywhere! Go! You have to hurry!" She yelled, playing the part of worried samaritan expertly.

The man disappeared back into the building, presumably to retrieve his things, and Elizabeth disappeared from his doorstep.

She took the straightest path she knew to the beach. The rain had finally stopped, and she wanted nothing more than to take a quiet stroll along the shore, breathe in the salty air and make sense of what that elderly man had told her. _Sparrow._

It was a name she had banished from her thoughts for some time now. Memories of a man she once loved flooded back to her seven fold. Memories that turned sour in an instant. She'd only seen him one other time since she'd bid him farewell in Peru, one time when fate managed for their paths to cross, one more time for her to tarnish his vision of her and crush his heart further. She tried to shake away the thoughts, but he was haunting her now. _Fitting_. _He doesn't even need to exact revenge. Just his name upon my lips is enough to send me spiraling downward. Is it possible? Could he really be here?_

When she finally reached the sand, Elizabeth stripped off her clothing and plunged into the icy water, hoping to cleanse herself of her current wanderings. The shock of the water's temperature was enough to distract her for a moment. She lowered her shoulders beneath the water and stayed submerged for as long as her body would allow, attempting to concentrate on her breathing the way Christian had trained her. _"Focus" _He'd tell her. _"Meditate on the sounds of your breath moving in and out, the way your lungs expand as you take in air, the way it gives you life. Nothing else matters."_

For two years, Christian trained Elizabeth to be completely aware of herself and her surroundings, so she would never be caught off guard. He taught her to be in complete control of her emotions, and to blend into the shadows and into the earth. He had great resources around him as the other men of the order were trained in various forms of combat, both ancient and modern. She trained with hundreds of weapons in hundreds of styles and learned the importance of stealth and subtlety. A mysterious order, no question, but they imparted valuable lessons upon her that enabled her to do the work she was bid unencumbered. It was hardly an easy feat, most days she was barely able to stand by the end of each session. For so long she thought herself to be one of the great fighters of the world, but she soon found her skill hardly matched in comparison to the men before her. They mocked her mercilessly, calling her style clumsy and unrefined. This only fueled her fire further, and by the end of the two years, she was as formidable a foe as the best of them. Though, she was never able to get the better of Christian.

_"It's not a fair fight, you have a magical advantage." She joked as they went toe to toe with stilettos._

_"You think I would use my powers against you, my dear? I'm offended. I've had centuries of practice. You are still a babe in arms." He prodded as he easily parried her attack._

_Elizabeth quickly countered and was gaining the upper hand as she moved him back toward a tree. She was beginning to use her surroundings to her advantage. She faked a kick toward his chest and dug her foot against the trunk behind him, launching herself upward into the branches and onto the other side of him, hoping to catch him from behind, but when she had landed he'd disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared behind her, knife to her throat._

_"You cheated." She said with a smirk, staring straight ahead._

_"I can't very well let you ruin my reputation. How would it look if a mortal woman bested the likes of me?"_

_Knocking away his hand, she ducked and spun on her heel. She pressed her own knife to his groin and smiled mischievously. "It would look as if the mortal woman who was prophesied to save the world was worth her salt." She jabbed a little harder and Christian winced. "And don't you forget that." She stood, wiping the dirt from her pants. Christian grabbed her by the wrist and pinned her against the tree leaning in closely his mouth hovering above hers. _

_"Why do you tease me?" He whispered in a husky voice._

_Elizabeth turned her head. "Christian." She said tersely._

_"I know. I'm breaking my own rules. No distractions, no attachments. Silly rules, aren't they?" He said as he leaned in, sniffing her hair._

_"They are the same rules that forced me to betray an innocent man's trust, so I will not allow the action to have been done in vain." She said pushing him off of her and heading back in the direction of the temple._

_"I could just take you, you would be powerless to stop me." He said following after her._

_"Where would be the fun in that?" She said turning to him. "I do not want to discuss this again or else you'll have to find yourself another savior."_

_"Very well." He conceded. _

Elizabeth shook the water off as she left the icy surf. It was amazing to her how one name had sparked such a bevy of memories. Christian had tried many times to win her heart, but she had no heart to win. She had given it completely to Jack, and with him it would remain until the day she perished. He just didn't know it. Neither of them did.

She put her clothes back on and walked the shoreline barefoot while she made her way back to the ramshackle room she'd been living in. She savored the feel of the water as it lapped over her feet. She made her way back to town and purchased a loaf of bread and a small fish from a street vendor and continued walking. The tavern wasn't far from the sea and had plenty of rooms for rent. It was there that Elizabeth had spent the last 6 months, establishing herself among the community, blending in.

The old wooden door creaked as it always had upon her entering. Two flights of rickety stairs led to the rooms above, a grey cat lay in wait at her door. Rubbing against her leg, it let out a soft mew and followed her inside. Elizabeth unwrapped the small fish and lay it on the floor for the sweet feline. Her bed was small and uncomfortable, but she was happy to see it. Finally, she had gotten what she'd come here for…and then some. She laid down and stared out her window, the clouds had dissipated enough that the stars were shining brightly. It would only be a few more days, and she could depart. Tearing off a hunk of bread, she listened intently to the sounds of the evening. There was nothing too out of the ordinary. The night was usually quiet. A different world from the boisterous cacophony that was Tortuga or Shipwreck Cove. Suddenly, she could just make out a scuffle in the distance. _Odd_, she thought. Against her better judgement she headed out into the night. Her instructions were clear: obtain the parchment and head to Singapore, don't draw any unwanted attention, but some things couldn't be helped. She was curious. So she jumped out of her window and followed the noise across several buildings, knives tucked neatly in her belt and strapped to her leg. It was her weapon of choice these days. Not as bulky as a sword, carrying knives allowed her to be faster and more nimble as she traversed the city scape. Not to say that certain situations didn't call for a saber or cutlass. She pulled her hood tightly over her head and continued across the rooftops.

She reached the source of the noise and found a group of men surrounding a scrawny young boy. They were corning him, clearly after something they believed to be in the boy's possession. One man pulled out a pistol and pointed it squarely in the young man's face. In a flash, Elizabeth sent one of her knives whizzing across the night air, finding its target in the man's hand. While the other men were distracted, Elizabeth jumped across to another building and dropped down behind one of the other men, snapping his neck. Pulling two knives from her robes, Elizabeth turned quickly, stabbing a man in the gut with one hand and in the neck with the other as he was about to attack. When she rounded on the remaining two men, they turned tail and ran as quickly as they could. The man with the pistol was on his knees, prying the knife out of his hand when Elizabeth moved toward him, kicking him hard in the face. The man flew to the ground, hard. Elizabeth stepped on his throat, keeping him pinned as she towered above him. The young boy was too stunned to speak. "You should get out of here" Elizabeth said to the boy, keeping her face shielded. The boy waisted no time and ran swiftly in the opposite direction down the alleyway.

Elizabeth returned her attention to the man beneath her foot. "What gives you the right to prey on the weak?"

The man tried to sputter out an answer, but Elizabeth cut him off. "I'm afraid that's not a good enough answer." She leaned down and whispered toward his ear before slicing his throat.

Leaving the man in the street, Elizabeth climbed her way atop the roofs and headed back to her room once more. The grey cat had devoured its meal and nestled itself onto her bed. She gave the thing a small smile and sat beside it. She'd been so distracted by the evening's events she hadn't recognized the strange presence in her room.

"You were supposed to go unnoticed. Don't get involved. Complete the task at hand. My instructions couldn't have been clearer." Christian said from the corner of the room.

Elizabeth was startled momentarily, but regained her composure. "I wasn't going to let an innocent boy come to harm."

"For one thing, I don't believe he was particularly innocent, secondly, you were followed. You're slipping, Elizabeth. Clean up your mess and leave town. You have new instructions." Just like that the image of Christian disappeared.

"I hate it when he does that." She said to the cat.

As soon as Christian had disappeared, a knock sounded at her door.

Elizabeth quickly grabbed a knife and pressed her body against the wall. "Who is it?" She asked gruffly.

"An old friend" A man answered back in an equally gruff tone of voice.

"I have no friends here and I wish not to be disturbed. Please go away."

"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to that request, your majesty." Hector Barbossa retorted.

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth opened the door. "Get in quickly." She said, ushering the man into her chambers.

"I didn't believe the lad when he said it was you, but here you are." He chuckled.

"Yes, but I won't be for long." She said peering out of the window, before closing the shutters. "What lad?" She turned her attention back to Barbossa.

"Jonathan. You remember him, don't you? Really saved his hide out there. Didn't stand a chance, he said, until you came along. Came in like a shadow and disarmed 10 men without any of them noticing a thing. Said he'd never seen anything like it."

Ignoring his exaggerations she asked "What is he doing here with you?" She asked accusingly.

"He's on me crew now, on the Pearl."

Elizabeth kept her focus trained on her hands. "I see." The information came as no surprise to her. She knew Jack had taken over the Devil. She'd come across tales of Captain Barbossa of the Black Pearl and Captain Sparrow of the Red Devil fighting side by side, a fearsome duo that the navy seemed incapable of catching. Though she never allowed herself before to question how it was that such a scenario came to be, but she did find it odd that Jonathan would choose to sail with Hector over Jack. She paused, trying to gain her composure. So much of what she had tried to forget over the last few years was now glaring her in the face. She needed to straighten up, but so many questions were swirling about her brain. _It doesn't matter, she scolded herself._ "So, what _are _you doing here?"

"We were in search of a map. Though, it appears someone must have gotten to it first. Jonathan's attackers assumed it was him what took it. Clearly, that wasn't the case" He said, eyeing the parchment on the table. Elizabeth snatched it up, before he could grab it. "But, I think the better question is what are you doing here, Miss Swann? Thought we were to leave you in Peru never to see you again?"

"I'm not at liberty to say, and you would do well to not ask anymore questions. It's not safe for you here."

"It's not safe anywhere. Haven't you heard? After all that nonsense with the chest, The Spanish, the French, and the English decided to hang up their feuds with each other and piece together a navy the likes of which has never been seen. They've been terrorizing the seas, terrorizing known pirate settlements, looking for artifacts with ancient power to help them take on the world. When they don't get the answers they want, death is all that remains. The rich and powerful want to consume everything until there is nothing left for us free folk except the necessity to bend to their will."

"I did hear, and I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to help." _Anymore than I already am. I've been risking my neck to ensure those artifacts don't end up in the wrong hands._

"Isn't there? The map that may or may not be in your possession can lead us to a powerful weapon to use against them."

"It will not lead you to what you think. It almost never does and some secrets are better kept hidden, such as my whereabouts, so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone you saw me."

"Anyone specific you don't want me to tell?" He asked meaningfully.

"Lovely to see you again, Hector." She chided as she attempted to push him out of her room.

"Still a sore subject, aye?" He asked stopping himself in the doorway.

"A subject that bares no concern of mine."

"And what of Shipwreck Cove and the people you abandoned? Or is that not a subject that bares concerning either?"

"I'm not their king, not anymore. Teague can manage things. It's not as if they've never been without a king."

"Teague is doing his best to keep the place from crumbling, true enough, but the situation is dire. Every day more ships surround the cove attempting to penetrate it, hoping to come across magical secrets those marine idiots think we are hiding from them. It's nearly impossible to get in or out undetected. The world is changing, lass, and not for the better. You're going to sit by and watch it destroy itself?"

Elizabeth was getting frustrated. She was hardly sitting by, but if she told him she'd been gathering magical artifacts and keeping them stocked safely in Peru, Barbossa would waste no time tying to procure them. It wouldn't do. She had to maintain her distance from all of this.

"What would you have me do?" She asked flustered.

"Give me the map, Miss Swann, or stand with us, fight with us one last time."

"Is that your plan then? Assemble a magical army of your own making?" She scoffed.

"If you have a better idea? I'm all ears."

"What does Jack have to say about all of this?"

"Who could know that? Haven't seen the fool in almost two years. Fell off the face of the earth, or so he would have us believe. Probably made a deal to give up the cove in exchange for his freedom."

"Surely not." She stated, feigning incredulity. All the while speculating whether or not Barbossa knew of Jack's presence in Dubrovnik and whether or not he knew Jack was after the parchment as well.

"Oh, love does strange things to a man, betrayal even stranger. Don't be so naive to think your actions have had no affect on him."

"You know nothing of it." She said turning on her heel toward the window.

"Don't I?" He paused "What happened in Norway, Miss Swann?" He asked pointedly, stopping her dead in her tracks. Her face stricken white in shock.

"How do you know about that?" She asked hesitantly.

Barbossa laughed heartily at her. "Not to put too fine a point on it, but I'd never seen a more broken man the day Jack returned to Shipwreck Cove from Bergen. An evening spent with a quite a few bottles of rum and an angry exchange of words with Teague before storming off never to be seen again. Cared naught about the state of the seas, cared naught about the cove or his father, he'd given up. Things like that don't just happen. So, I can only assume you had something to do with it."

"I…" She desperately wanted to forget the events that happened in that godforsaken place, but it would seem she could not run away from the memory anymore than she could run away from Christian. It would always find her. He would always find her.

"Listen here, lass. I don't particularly care what you did or didn't do. It's your business, but I need your help and that is not something I ask for often. So, what say you?"

"I'm sorry…I…I just can't. I wouldn't even know where to begin to explain. I made my choice and now I have to go. Forget you saw me, tell Jonathan to forget he saw me. I don't want to have to kill you." She said at last before climbing out of the window.

"We're dead already!" He yelled after her as she disappeared from view.

Barbossa stepped out into the hallway and headed into the tavern below, sitting down at a table near the back. He ordered a drink as another man sat down across from him in the shadows.

"Well?" the man asked.

"It's her." Barbossa answered plainly.

"And?"

"It may take further convincing, but she'll help us. We just need to be patient."

"We don't have time for patience." The man said, his anger rising.

"Have a little faith in your king, she's not as cold hearted as she'd like to paint herself."

"Tell that to my son." Teague said under his breath.

"I would, if he were anywhere to be found, but it seems he's abandoned the cause as well." Hector said, letting his frustration show.

"He'll come around." Teague brushed him off.

"In another two years? You'll have to forgive me for not holding my breath while I wait for the poor sod."

"We need both of them, Hector. You can't deny that."

"I have a hard time imagining Jack will be too pleased to be anywhere within five feet of the girl, but I suppose we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. Our only hope now is that Mr. Gibbs has made some progress locating the good captain."

"Have a little faith, Hector." Teague said with a smirk as he took a drink from his tankard.


	31. Adversaries

**A/N: Holy long chapter, Batman! I didn't think I was ever going to get this chapter posted! But, after many re-workings, I think I'm finally happy with the end result. Fair Warning: Things are going to get a bit darker as we venture forth.**

**Thank you all for your continued support and patience as I battle with life for time to work on this story. Your reviews, favorites and follows really inspire me to keep this story going...anyway enough rambling. Enjoy!**

**Adversaries**

It had been two hours since Jack had sent his first mate, Creed, to retrieve the parchment. Six months since Jack had sent Creed to Dubrovnik to locate the infernal thing. Calypso had come to him, demanding he find it before Elizabeth, that it would be of great importance to them in the war to come. No less cryptic than usual, she said it would lead them to a great weapon. Exactly what kind of weapon and how effective it would be remained to be seen. Jack was weary of trusting a single word uttered from her heathen mouth, but what did he have to lose?

Gibbs' had decided to take some time to himself at the cove once they returned from Peru, leaving only Elizabeth's crew on the Devil and not a friend in sight. Barbossa took over the Pearl and with it, anyone that had been loyal to Jack in the past. A fact that only served to remind Jack of the never ending cycle of desertion and betrayal in his life. He decided then that he needed a blank slate to work with and pieced together a brand new crew who knew almost nothing of Captain Jack Sparrow or Elizabeth Swann, the Pirate King.

It was this crew what stood guard as he waited, secluded in the back room of the _Bronze Calf, _where the only available drink was some ridiculously sweet fruit brandy. It wasn't to his preferred tastes by any stretch of the imagination, but the liquid was retrieving the desired affect.

He stood, wobbly legged, and peered through the curtain leading into the main room of the hidden establishment, trying to locate the barmaid. Creed was an able first mate. Unassuming and loyal, he filled Gibbs' shoes quite nicely and was the perfect man to complete this task, but the old man's length in absence could only bode ill.

Once he spotted the woman, an old friend from his more innocent days as an EITC captain, he waved her over to the slightly parted drapes.

"Has there been any sign of him?" He spoke in broken Croatian.

The woman shook her head.

"Send out Blago and the boys" He responded.

The woman nodded and made her way to a table in the corner of the main room where several large men were imbibing food and drink. She whispered a few words to them and pointed back in Jack's direction. The largest man stood and nodded to Jack before leading the rest of the men outside. Jack picked up Blago only a month or so before arriving in Croatia, but he proved to be quite effective when it came to persuasive tactics, and he quickly became Jack's number one enforcer.

Jack continued to wait, but just as soon as they left, a few of the men returned carrying the old man in question into the tavern, the apothecary at their heels.

"He was just outside the doors, writhing in the street." Franko had said. He was another new crew member, Jack had enlisted, though they'd been friends since they were children.

"There was a young boy standing over his body when I found him. He ran off, back into the city. I sent two men after him." The apothecary added.

"Creed, what happened?" Jack asked, concern drowning his features. He hadn't expected any trouble here. It was supposed to be a simple exchange of coin for a damned piece of parchment, nothing more.

"He's in no fit state to be answering any questions. He was near death when I found him. The main artery in his thigh, nicked. Whoever did this to him wanted him to suffer. If it wasn't for the young woman who informed me of what happened, he'd be dead already." The apothecary then signaled for the barmaid to get him water, towels, and a bit of alcohol.

"What woman?" Jack asked with guarded suspicion.

"A passer by, knocking wildly at my door. She was disheveled, looked as if she were running from the attackers. She was gone by the time I'd retrieved my things and donned a proper pair of clothes.

"She knows, Jack" The injured man whispered in a fevered sweat. "She knows it's you."

Jack's mouth twitched visibly.

"Captain, what's he talking about?" Franko asked. When Jack stared straight ahead saying nothing, Franko prodded again. "Captain? Jack, can you hear me?"

Creed continued repeating his earlier words. All Jack could do was stare blankly at him. It was just a coincidence. He laughed at himself. It had to be a coincidence.

With a loud crash Blago and another entered the tavern, shaking Jack out of his trance.

"Captain. We have Imperial Navy is here."

"You're sure?" Jack asked.

"We followed the boy toward the center of the city. We were just about to make our move to snatch him when a group of naval brutes came out of the shadows trapping him against the wall. They were screaming at him about the parchment, but I don't think the lad had it. He was too frightened. He would have given it up if he did. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time more'n like"

"Did they see you?" He asked to no one in particular.

"No, they won't be bothering us. Out of nowhere someone swooped in and dropped those blighters one by one. A cloaked figure came from out of the shadows like a ghost and took out six of their men in the blink of an eye. I've never seen anything like it."

"Tell everyone to get back to the ship. We set sail tonight." Jack said urgently.

"But, Captain-"

"No questions, just do it." Jack turned back to Creed. "Does she know why?"

"Please sir, he needs rest." The apothecary insisted

"Creed! Did you tell her why?" Desperation clear in Jack's voice.

"No" He sputtered out.

_Not a coincidence then_. Jack muttered to himself, putting a hand to the compass he had long forgotten still hung on his belt. _The little spider has come out of the shadows at last._ _Another victim caught in your web_. _But why not dispose of Creed? Surely a loose end such as he, could be quite damning to your little order. Perhaps, you meant to send me a message? But saving the boy too? It would appear you've a weakness, Lizzie, a chink in the armor, a small piece of your heart that has not yet turned completely to ice. _After a moment of deliberation, Jack grabbed the compass, and flipped it open for the first time since she'd left it behind in Norway. He watched the needle swing from one side to the other before settling toward the coast. _She's on the move. _

Jack snapped himself out of his musings and turned toward the barmaid. "Sorry we couldn't stay longer." He placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

"What about him?" She asked pointing to Creed.

"He's in no state to be sailing on a ship, luv. This should cover his needs until he's back on his feet" He tossed her a small sack of coin.

"You're more trouble than your worth, Jack Sparrow." She called after him as he was almost out the door.

"I'll make it up to you next time" He gave her a wink and headed into the alley.

—

_Bergen, Norway. Two years earlier._

_"Jack Sparrow, I don't believe my eyes. What on earth would possess you to leave the Caribbean and come traipsing about in the snow?" A burly man, wrapped in furs stood to greet Jack as he burst through the door of the inn, escaping the blizzard outside. _

_"Can't a man catch up with an old friend?"_

_"If it were anyone other than you, of course, but you and I both know you need something."_

_"Fair Enough." _

_The man laughed and ushered Jack to his private quarters. Gregor Sorenson sailed under Teague when Jack was a boy. He was a great sailor and fighter, loyal to a fault and was always spinning a good yarn. After Jack's mother was killed and Teague went rogue, Gregor came to find Jack, keeping an eye on him for a time. He helped him pay his way into the East India Company, and when things went south, he helped him out of trouble. Gregor was probably the last person in the world Jack could still trust._

_A great fire was burning in the fire place. Jack removed his cloak of furs and sat on the floor in front of the fire. Gregor laughed heartily at him, handing him a mug of hot spiced rum before sitting down across from Jack._

_"You still look every bit the precocious scamp that used to pick my pockets."_

_Jack snickered half heartedly. "Much has changed since those days, I assure you."_

_"Oh, yes I've been keeping eyes on you. Fought the entire East India Company, elected a young Governor's daughter Pirate King, came back from the dead. You've been very busy."_

_"I've been foolish."_

_"Broke your heart, did she?"_

_"I didn't come here to talk about that."_

_"Alright, so what has you sailing so far away from your warm weathered paradise?"_

_"Information. If I remember correctly, you spent a lot of time studying ancient civilizations before joining Teague on the Devil?"_

_"Some time, yes. So much so, I persuaded your father to go off searching for ruins and artifacts. Sent him on quite a number of wild goose chases" Gregor laughed remembering those days fondly. "But that was a long time ago. I don't get out much anymore. Old age does something terrible to the body, Jack."_

_"So does the cold. Why on earth would you choose to settle down here?"_

_"What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment. Why else would I stay on the Devil as long as I did? Tell me, how can I help you?"_

_"In your travels, did you ever happen upon a city in Peru? A city in the mountains?"_

_Gregor looked nervous. He was silent for a long time before answering. "Jack, whatever has you searching for this place is not worth it. I promise you."_

_"I've already been there, mate. I want to know about its inhabitants."_

_"Did they send you here? Are you here to kill me?" Gregor sprang up quickly. He ran to his desk and pulled out a pistol he kept hidden there._

_"Gregor, no! No one sent me. I'm not here to kill you." Jack moved toward him and Gregor backed up against the wall holding his pistol out in front of him._

_"Not a step closer, Jack."_

_Jack sighed and unbuckled his scabbard, throwing it on the floor. He then removed his pistol and the knife he kept hidden in his boot and threw them in a pile with his sword belt before raising his hands in the air. Gregor hesitantly lowered the pistol, and let out a small breath of relief. Gregor sat down at his desk and put his head in his hands._

_Jack approached slowly, putting his hands on the desk and bent down so Gregor could hear, "I need you to tell me everything you know." Jack whispered as seriously and calmly as he could._

_—_

By the time Jack had reached the docks, his crew had been busy preparing the ship. With a loud whistle, he called them all to attention.

"Alright, lads, the parchment that we came for, that Creed nearly died for, that will lead us to our most fortunistic futures is still in this city in the hands of a very dangerous woman. I trust I can count on you to retrieve it before she manages to get to her ship. If not for us, then, at the very least, for what she did to Creed."

A chorus of 'aye's erupted around him. Franko stepped forward.

"How exactly are we to do that, Captain?"

"She's like a ghost." Blago added.

"We'll need to set a trap." Jack responded in kind.

"What kind of trap?" Franko asked.

"One she won't be able to resist." Jack said with an evil smirk.

—

_Elizabeth pulled into Bergen in the early evening. She'd been traveling for what seemed an eternity. Two months on horseback from Peru to Guyana where she commandeered a vessel small enough for her to sail alone. From there it was another three months across the Atlantic to Morocco where she was to meet up with an armorer. Another three months of sailing to Ireland to restock her food and water supplies. Two more months to reach her destination in Norway. The last stretch was by far the most difficult as her small ship had been tossed around a great deal as she sailed through the Northern waters. Needless to say she was happy to finally step foot on solid ground. _

_The snow blanketed everything in a blinding whiteness. As the wind whipped furiously around her, the falling snow pricked her face and distorted her vision. She pulled her cloak up over her head and made her way toward the only light she could see. _

_"This must be the inn Christian had mentioned." She thought to herself as she approached the doors._

_It was her first task since completing her training. There was a man here with information that could allegedly destroy the order and wreak havoc upon the world if in the wrong hands. She was to find out what exactly he knew and dispose of him. It wasn't an endeavor she was very keen on. _

_"Surely, I can silence him without killing him?" She'd asked him._

_"He could be dangerous. I don't enjoy taking a life anymore than you do, but I assure you it is for the greater good. That's why we're all here, yes?" Christian lectured her. _

_"Yes." She answered solemnly._

_As she entered the inn she was greeted by a man that very much resembled a bear. He was tall, gruff, and dressed in a patchwork of furs. _

_"Welcome! What can I do for you? Would you like a drink, a hot meal, a room?" He asked cheerily._

_"All three?" Elizabeth answered, playing the part of a girl who had never been on her own before. Not that it was much of a stretch, her nerves were pulled taught over the current mission. Locate mysterious gentleman, find out what he knows, kill him immediately. Christian was almost as vague as Calypso._

_"How will I know who he is once I've found him?" She asked Christian._

_"He will know you before you know him." _

_"So I must conceal myself?"_

_"You must hide in plain sight. Everything else will fall into place."_

_"Traveling alone lass? In this weather?" The innkeeper said, breaking her out of her thoughts. He looked at her with fatherly concern._

_"I was visiting my uncle in Leikanger, I was to depart back to Ireland this evening, but with the weather as poor as it is, there are no ships departing."_

_"Yes. It is a terrible time for travel. This is the worst blizzard we've had all winter. Why don't you warm yourself near the fireplace, and I'll have Gertrude bring you some Wassail while I ready your room."_

_"Thank you for your kindness, sir."_

_"Of course, miss."_

_Elizabeth removed her cloak and sat at a table near the fire. Gertrude arrived swiftly with her drink, gave a sweet smile and disappeared back into the kitchen. There were a few patrons sitting around the dining area. Two young boys were in hushed conversation, giving the occasional look toward her. For a moment, she thought they were the ones she came for, but soon realized they were merely gawking at her. A man with wife and child sat at the next table over from her, enjoying hot stew. She smiled and the young boy, he stuck out his tongue at her in response. Near the door another man slept. No one in the establishment appeared to pose a threat. _

_The innkeeper returned with a bowl of stew and a key. "It's the first door on the right just up the stairs there. Fresh linens on the bed and a pitcher of water on the night stand, and if you'd like a bath drawn, just call for Gertie."_

_"Thank you again. What do I owe you?" Elizabeth asked reaching for her coin purse._

_"It's on the house."_

_"Sir, that's not necessary."_

_"It's almost Christmas and charity is on short order these days. It is my pleasure."_

_"That is very kind. I'll have to think on how to repay you another way." _

_"Just enjoy your stay. That's repayment enough."_

_The innkeeper returned to his desk and Elizabeth dove into her stew. She hadn't had a hot meal in far too long. She might have to indulge herself in the hot bath as well._

_After her bath, Elizabeth decided to return to the common room and wait for more guests to arrive or appear. She was at the bottom step when she heard the innkeeper shout "Jack Sparrow!"_

_Immediately she jumped back, hugging the wall of the stairwell. "No." She whispered. "It can't be him." She craned her neck to hear further without being seen._

_"Can't a man catch up with an old friend?" she heard him answer back. His voice was unmistakable. She dared to peer around the corner to see the back of Jack following the innkeeper into the kitchen._

_"What threat does Jack pose?" She asked herself._

_"He poses a threat to you." Christian answered appearing before her on the stairs._

_Elizabeth nearly shrieked in surprise._

_"Careful, Elizabeth. You don't want to attract unwanted attention."_

_"How are you here?" She whispered_

_"I"m not really here. I'm just a projection."_

_"That's a handy trick." She said in an angry voice. "Can you do this anytime you like?"_

_Christian merely smiled slyly at her._

_"I don't understand. Jack would never hurt me." She shook her head in disbelief._

_"That's not what I meant. He poses a threat to our work and your love for him remains a weakness in you as evidenced by the compass hanging from your belt." He gave her a knowing look._

_"I won't kill him." She said resolutely._

_"Jack is not the reason you are here" He said nonchalantly, dismissing her defiance. _

_"The innkeeper?" _

_"He has something…powerful. A pendant that belonged to the god of chaos. It is said, it can bring him back to life. He is going to give it to Jack for safe keeping. Jack will use the pendant, without knowing what it does, to barter for his freedom from his debts to the Spanish. The Spanish will come here and torture the information out of our innkeeper friend and will use it to destroy everything. We must get that pendant."_

_"You saw this, did you? In one of your visions?" She said putting her hands on her hips._

_"These are truths, not visions."_

_"But the innkeeper is a good man."_

_"Not all are as innocent as they appear." He scolding her, the way someone would a child._

_"Not all are as guilty either. I doubt Jack would hand over something that powerful to his enemy."_

_"Are you willing to take that risk?"_

_"More willing to take the risk than end their lives."_

_"Remember what we are fighting for, Swann. By the end of the night, Jack will be in possession of that pendant. You need to get it from him."_

_"I'm certain I'm the last person he would want to see, much less help."_

_"Then you will retrieve it using whatever means necessary. I'm not asking. Get it done." Christian's tone turned sour and he disappeared right before her eyes. _

_Elizabeth leaned her head back against the wall in frustration. How much more pain could she inflict upon Jack? Maybe she didn't have to hurt him. Maybe she could…persuade him._

_She went into the common room and sat at a table in the corner, not completely hidden, but just visible for her to catch his glance and waited._

_—-_

They lay in wait for Blago to return. Jack turned to address his men once more.

"When Blago returns, keep a weather eye on the rooftops. Don't underestimate her. She may look slight, but she's as deadly as they come. Do not offer her the courtesy of mercy, for she would not offer the same to you. Is that clear?"

"Aye" The men said in hushed voices.

"Spread out, wait for the signal."

—

"_Order Ab Chao" Gregor said to Jack, after Jack had explained to Gregor the whole story from Shipwreck Cove to the prophecy to Peru._

_._

_"Order out of chaos? What does that have to do with this?" Jack asked with some skepticism._

_"The people you are asking about are apart of a sacred order and that is their mantra. An entire religion devoted to the god of chaos. They believe he is the one to give salvation to this world and they have been collecting ancient relics in order to bring him back to life and restore his power."_

_"That makes no sense. Elizabeth wouldn't have agreed to be a part of that." Jack said pinching the bridge of his nose._

_"It's likely she doesn't know."_

_"But Calypso sent us to Peru, helped her decipher the map." _

_"It may not have been Calypso." _

_"What are you saying?"_

_"There are some of us that believe the god of chaos was never defeated, that he was merely weakened and has been in hiding. If that's true and he's been slowly regaining his power, there's no limit to what he could be capable of."_

_"Then of what use is Elizabeth to him?" Jack asked. Gregor looked at him with sad eyes. _

_—_

Elizabeth raced from her lodgings to the rooftop where she kept hidden the rest of her things. Weapons mostly, in case she couldn't get back to her skiff: two scimitars fitted into a leather strap that fit over her back along with a quiver and bow; two Sais tightly held in place around her waist; a healthy supply of throwing knives; and a stiletto hidden in her right boot. Armored to the teeth, she pulled her cloak over her shoulders and headed toward the small cove where she anchored her ship. Having so much weaponry really inhibited her ability to move as quickly as she would have liked, but as she always said, better to be prepared.

She was nearly to the shore when she heard the cry. A young girl's cry. She stopped, straining to hear further. She heard it again accompanied by the sound of a gruff man yelling. _Don't get involved, Elizabeth. It's not your concern_. She could hear Christian's voice echoing in her head, or was it her own? She could hardly tell anymore. She heard the cry again. This time more urgent, more frightened, and she took off in the direction of the harbor.

—

_Elizabeth waited patiently for Jack to reenter the common room. She picked a book from a tall shelf near the fireplace and hid behind it, quietly observing the room. Gertrude, the innkeeper's wife, came out of the kitchen a few times to wipe down tables and serve food to a few new patrons._

_It was a good three hours before she saw Jack again. She was starting to doze off slightly when he and the innkeeper came back through the curtain._

_"…and Gertie and I have been married ever since." The innkeeper laughed._

_"And everyday, I think I may have lost my senses" Gertrude said, passing by Gregor and placing a kiss on his cheek._

_"A good living you've got here, Gregor." Jack smiled._

_"We get by. You'll be staying tonight, yes?" The man clapped Jack on the back._

_"Yes, I-" Jack stopped short as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A familiar cloaked figure, clumsily bumping into a guest before scurrying up the stairs. "You'll have to excuse me" Jack said to Gregor and bounded up the stairs after her. _

_—-_

Jack waited, watching Blago scream his head off at the frightened little girl, her arm held tightly in his grasp. No actual harm was to come to the little lass, Jack just needed her to scream loud enough to get Elizabeth's attention.

"Come on, dearie. Show me you still know what it means to be _good_" He muttered to himself.

The men were anxious. They had heard tales of the Pirate King turned deadly assassin emerge in every port. She would move about like a shadow, leaving men defenseless against her. She didn't leave many survivors, but the ones who managed to escape, or the ones she felt should be spared touted tales of warning to other pirates. After seeing what happened to Creed first hand, they weren't exactly eager to face her, but a fully crewed ship against one woman left them hoping they held the advantage.

It was such a small sound, but it echoed through the night air like a cannon. Everyone heard it, but no one could place where the sound was coming from. Not more than a few seconds later, an arrow came whizzing through sky, planting itself directly through the left eye of Blago. His cry was deafening. The little girl tried to run, but Franko caught her and held her with him behind a barrel. The men looked to the rooftops as Jack had instructed, but no figure could be seen. Panic began to set in. Men abandoned their hiding spots and ventured into the alley. Jack tried to silently usher them back behind the various crates and barrels, but it was too late.

Two more arrows found targets before anyone could react. Jack signaled for three of his men to head down a southern alley way and circle back around, hopefully catching her from behind. The remaining men took cover. They had to draw her to the docks.

—

_Elizabeth needed to grab his attention, but not let on that she knew he was there. She needed him to come to her. So as she walked toward the staircase, she purposefully bumped into a guest as they made their way down, creating just enough of a scene for him to notice her._

_She fumbled, looking for the key to her room when she reached the top of the stairs. Hearing footsteps, she opened the door quickly and as she was stepping inside, Jack grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her up against the wall inside her room, trapping her between his arms._

_"And just what the bloody hell are you doing here? Is it not enough that you haunt my sleep, but must you also haunt my waking hours?" He seethed at her, digging his fingers into her arms. _

_Jack's aggression had startled her. His eyes, absent their normal luster, were burning into her. She wasn't prepared for him to be so angry. Hurt, perhaps, but not this. She would not be able to persuade him so easily._

_"I cannot control what you dream of and I'm not here to see you, so if you'll please let…me…go." She said struggling against him, though she would have rather fallen into his embrace. Two years was hardly enough time to forget Captain Jack Sparrow._

_"Oh no? It's just coincidence, that you happened upon this place on the very same night I was to arrive? What's your business here?"_

_"It's just that. My business." She said averting his gaze._

_Jack shoved her harder, slamming her head against the wall. Elizabeth shut her eyes in a grimace at the contact. "You owe me at least an answer." He growled in frustration._

_"That's not the answer you're looking for and you know it. Let me go, Jack." She said in an almost condescending tone._

_"Sorry, Miss Swann, you won't be getting away so easily." _

_Miss Swann? Elizabeth thought. This is going to be much harder than I expected._

_"Please, Jack. I don't want to hurt you."_

_"Too late for that, darling."_

_"I could be far less kind than I've been thus far."_

_"Is that right? Prove it." He challenged her._

_Elizabeth hooked her right leg around the back of Jack's left and pushing against his shoulders dropped him to the floor. In one quick motion she had her knife at his neck while she straddled him. _

_"One wrong move and there will be nothing anyone can do to help you, so choose your next one wisely." _

_"You wouldn't kill me again, not again." He sounded very sure of himself._

_"I will only do what is necessary." She challenged back. Elizabeth had the upper hand and he knew it. Jack relaxed beneath her and put his hands up in surrender. _

_"Now, while we're being friendly, why don't you tell me the reason _you're_ here, Jack."_

_Jack was silent and stared at the ceiling, unable to bare her gaze. Her closeness burning him like hot steel._

_"Come now, Jack. You're not usually so tongue tied." She teased caressing the side of his face with her knife. _

_"I came here to find information about your new friends." _

_"Why?" She whispered, suspicion building within her. _

_He was silent. "Why?" she whispered again through gritted teeth, pressing the knife harder against him._

_"Because I couldn't believe that I'd really lost you. Something had to be wrong. They had to have done something to you. I tried to forget it, to forget you. Believe me, I wanted nothing more, but…"_

_Elizabeth cut him off and pressed her lips to his furiously, carelessly dropping the knife beside them. He reacted instantaneously and, grabbing her hips, pulled her closer to him. She slid against his growing hardness and elicited a desperate moan. She'd gone two years starved of his touch and was satiating her hunger like a brazen beast. _

_Jack turned the tables and rolled them over. He slid his hands along her arms and carefully, slowly pinned them above her head with one hand and picked up her knife with the other. Breaking the kiss, he sat up and dragged the blade softly across the skin of her neck._

_"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…" He sneered. Elizabeth turned her head to the side in frustration. Pressing the tip of the knife to her jaw, Jack turned her attention back toward him. "Since we're being friendly, you can answer my questions now."_

_"Any answer I give you isn't going to be enough."_

_"I'll be the judge of that."_

_"Fine. Go ahead and ask." She sighed._

_"Why aren't you in Peru?" Jack slid the knife from her neck down to the waistband of her pants and split the fabric open. _

_"I was sent on a mission." She answered huskily._

_"What sort of mission?" He asked sliding his hand beneath the torn linen._

_"I'm looking for something." Her breath caught in her throat._

_"Something or someone?" Jack slid his hand against her center, teasing her, relishing against the heat radiating off of her. _

_Elizabeth gasped, and pressed her hips into his hand._

_"It is a relief to know, I still have some power over you." He smiled wickedly, pulling his hand away. _

_"Jack" She pleaded with him, her eyes had turned black with desire. _

_"What is it you're after, Elizabeth?" He growled, kneeling over her, placing tender kisses along her neck, along her jaw._

_"I can't tell you." She whispered._

_Frustrated, Jack propped himself up peering down at her. "Why did you leave me?" He looked her directly in the eyes. A mixture of hurt and anger swirled through his onyx orbs _

_She couldn't speak. His breath hot upon her face chilled her to her very core. Could she tell him the truth? Would he understand? Any means necessary…she heard a voice in her head. _

_"It was the only way to save you!" She blurted out. "They saw your death. If I stay with you, you will die. What choice did I have?" Her eyes began to well up. It was a partial truth. That was why she had to leave him, but that's not why she chose to stay with the order. That was something he wouldn't understand. There was still a void in her, a void that couldn't be filled with love. She needed more. However unfair it was to Jack. _

_Jack brought his hand to her cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "You could have told me."_

_"What would that have prevented? You would never have left me behind." She turned her head to the side in an attempt to hide her tears._

_Jack got to his feet and helped to pull Elizabeth to hers, pulling her into his arms. "With good reason. How do you know you can trust these men?" _

_"I've spent the last two years among them, training with them, working toward a greater good. I've no reason not to trust them."_

_Jack pondered for a moment about what Gregor had told him. He could just tell her what he'd heard and not accuse her out right, but it could scare her away and he desperately wanted to be with her in this moment. Unable to come up with a solution, Jack tucked a stray hair behind her ear before kissing her deeply._

—

It was a trap. She knew that much, but she couldn't let whoever was after her harm that little girl. She just couldn't. Against her better judgement, she ditched her cloak and her bow and ran across the rooftops full speed toward the docks. She was barely watching as she jumped from building to building, bouncing along like a gazelle. She had to stop herself quickly when she reached a gap she was unable to clear. A fast assessment had to be made before she was seen.

Looking below, she spotted three men huddled behind a barrel; swords at the ready. To her left were the docks where she assumed most of her enemies awaited her. To her right an empty alleyway. It was no decision at all. She took hold of a nearby clothesline and cutting it, dropped silently behind the men. She pulled the Sais from her belt and stabbed two of the men in the back. The third turned to face her, horror stricken. She held the weapon against his jugular. When he attempted to scream for help, she shook her head and held a finger up to her lips, pressing the weapon further into his throat. "Now tell me, where are the rest of you?" She whispered into his ear. Just as he was about to answer she saw something in his eye, a look of defiance maybe, a glimmer of hope.

She took no chances and turned to find three more men charging at her from down the alley. Three throwing knives flew from her hand through the darkness, expertly finding their marks.

While she was distracted, the man she was holding raced off toward the docks. Stupidly she chased him.

Two men attacked her as she emerged from the alley way. She blocked the attacks from both sides, parrying one while kicking the other in the face. Another man ran toward her, forcing her to throw one of her Sais in his direction. He blocked it easily with the swipe of his sword and came down hard upon her. Ducking to the side, the man missed and cut off the arm of the other man Elizabeth had been tangling with. Elizabeth took the opening he left her and grabbing his head gave his neck the slightest of twists. He fell into a heap on the ground.

—

_"Gods I've missed you." Jack whispered into her ear as he pulled her toward him, her bare skin against his lighting a fire in his gut._

_"I've missed you too" She managed to whisper, a silent "but" hanging in the air._

_"How long do I have?" 'Before you leave again' left unsaid as he wrapped his arms tightly around her middle. _

_"Until morning." She answered sadly._

_"Very well. Best not waste any time then." He said flipping her onto her back. She laughed wildly as he trailed kisses along her neck and collarbone. Elizabeth wished more than anything that she could freeze this moment in time. _

_—_

Jack peered from behind a bollard watching the scene with dismay. This was not how this was supposed to go…and it had begun to rain. She was making quick work of his makeshift crew. He signaled to four of his more skilled men to join in the fray. Each were rather proficient swordsmen, trained in martial arts. They attacked her quickly from all sides, forcing her to duck and weave and prohibited her from reaching for the swords strapped to her back. As she dropped to the ground, ducking a particularly damaging strike, she swept her leg beneath the smaller of the four men. He flew to the floor, landing on his back. She got to her feet and quickly kicked his weapon away. As another man slashed at her, she grabbed his arm holding it away from her with her left hand and struck his face with the other elbow. Prying away his weapon, she was able to strike against the other two. Clang. Clang. Clang. He watched her furiously attack the other two, parry and blow, parry and blow, forcing them back toward the water. A faint sob to her right caught her attention, and offered enough distraction for another attacker to hit his mark. A deep gash appeared on her left shoulder.

—

_Elizabeth lay on her side watching Jack who had long since fallen asleep. She was memorizing him, his every feature, every imperfection. She couldn't imagine how she would be able to say goodbye…again. She lay back and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would find her. Without warning she sat up straight and got out of bed. She dressed and found herself walking down the stairs toward the back of the inn. She walked through the opening in the curtain and walked directly to the innkeeper's sitting room where he sat in front of the fire sipping on a glass of whiskey. _

_"I wondered how long it would be before one of you would show up." He said never looking back at her. "The minute Teague's brat came in looking for answers, I knew it was only a matter of time."_

_"I'm sorry we couldn't meet on better terms." She said not knowing where the words were coming from._

_"The girl?" Gregor turned to look back at her. "So it's nearly time then? Well, I should inform you that I don't have it." He returned his gaze to the fire._

_"Where is it?" She asked, none too kindly._

_"It's been gone for years. Same as I told Teague, Same as I told his boy. Now leave me in peace. I want no more part of this."_

_"Don't lie to me" Elizabeth hissed, grabbing Gregor by the shirt. _

_Gregor grabbed her arm and pulled down the wrist guard she wore on her right arm, revealing two crescent moons encircling a star burned into the inside of her wrist._

_"Nyx." He whispered, letting go of her arm as if it were on fire. _

_"Tell me where it is, or I'll kill you." She grunted. She startled herself as the words left her lips. Did she really want to kill this man?_

_Gregor could see the slight crack in her demeanor. "He's in your head, girl. Can't you see that?"_

_Elizabeth shook her head in frustration. "I make my own choices."_

_"Of course you do. Well, go on get it over with." He challenged her. _

_Brave man, the voice echoed in her head. He doesn't fear death, or perhaps he doesn't fear you. He thinks you're weak because you are a woman. Show him how wrong he is. _

_"My patience is wearing thin. Give me the pendant." She pressed her knife against his throat._

_"You don't really want to do this. Jack told me about you. Told me how strong you are, what kind of mettle you have." Gregor had hoped to use Jack to soften, to get her to understand what was happening to her, but it only proved to make her more angry._

_She pressed the knife harder against him, seething, watching the blood trickle from where the blade was beginning to cut through. _

_"Elizabeth, remember who you are." He urged her._

_He's trying to trick you. They're trying to stop our work. _

_"I know who I am. I'm Elizabeth Swann, the bloody Pirate King. Now tell me where the damned pendant is, or I'll be forced to ask Gertie." She sneered, a wicked smile curving upon her lips._

_"Alright! Enough. I gave it to Sparrow." He said resignedly._

_"Thank you." She said sweetly. "Was that so difficult?" She turned and began walking back toward the common room._

_"He knows who you are" Gregor said, stopping Elizabeth before she could exit._

_"Of course he knows who I am." Elizabeth answered with a scoff. _

_"I'm not talking to you." He said still looking straight at her._

_"There is no one controlling me" She said flustered as Gregor moved toward her._

_"He knows, Erebus."_

_"That's not my name!" She nearly screamed_

_"He'll stop you at all costs." _

_"Stay where you are" She warned when he was only a few feet from her._

_"You won't be able to have her."_

_"Shut up." And in a quick swing of her arm she sliced Gregor across the neck. He fell to the floor with a thud. Her heart began to race and her breathing shallowed. What just happened?_

_Get the pendant. It's time to go._

_—-_

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that." She sneered and turned on the poor man after shoving the other two men off of the docks and into the water.

The man cowered slightly as she moved toward him. Her eyes were filled with anger and something fierce, animalistic. She wasn't phased in the slightest by the ensuing melee. Her only thought was that she had to end it. Elizabeth dropped the borrowed weapon and unsheathed the two scimitars from her leather back strap.

—

_She returned to her room. Jack was still fast asleep. She rifled through his things on the floor until she found a solid gold pendant carved with symbols she recognized from the temple including the one burned into her arm. She put on her cloak and was about to leave when something stopped her. _

_She moved toward the bed and stood over him, staring at him. She pulled her knife from her belt and clutched it tightly in her hand. _

_Do it, the voice echoed again. Christian _was_ in her head. _

_No. She battled back. _

_He'll endanger us all. _

_He doesn't know what he's getting into. _

_Don't be so naive, he's a pirate. _

_So am I, she decided finally and tucked the knife back into her belt. _

_Don't fight me, Elizabeth. _

_"I'm not yours to command." She said at out loud, banishing Christian from her thoughts._

_Once she was sure she was alone, she pressed a gentle kiss to Jack's forehead, and placed his compass on the night stand beside him. _

_"In case I need you to find me" She whispered._

—

Jack watched her pull the two swords from behind her, her eyes were wild. She was carnal, feral, preying upon his men as if it was nothing more than a slight inconvenience. He had to act quickly. He had to send in the rest of his men. He gave a loud whistle, and twenty more men appeared from every dark shadowy corner on the docks and raced toward Elizabeth.

—

_Jack wasn't surprised to find her gone when he woke the next morning. He dressed and poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand. For a moment he thought his eyes had played a trick on him, but plain as day, his compass sat before him. He smiled inwardly and returned it to its former resting place upon his belt. _

_A loud scream echoed from downstairs, shaking him out of his reverie. Jack ran toward the source of the noise and found Gertrude inconsolable on the floor of the common room. Jack rushed to her side. _

_"What is it, Gertrude? What's happened?" He asked urgently._

_She turned to look back toward Gregor's sitting room and went into further hysterics, rocking back and forth on her knees. Jack quickly stood and ran into the sitting room only to find Gregor sprawled on the floor, all the blood drained from his body and a thick slash across his throat. _

_He ran back to Gertrude. "Gertie, I need you to look at me. Do you know who did this? Gertie?" _

_She was unable to gather herself enough to answer audibly, so she mouthed a silent 'no' in between sobs. _

_Jack stood and looked around. Other patrons were watching, horror stricken at the event unfolding before them. "Did anyone see anything out of place over the last few hours?" He asked aloud._

_Most everyone just shook their heads. They'd only been up a few moments. _

_"I didn't see nothing, but I heard an argument between Gregor and a young woman" An old man voiced from the corner._

_"When?" Jack asked hurriedly, afraid he already knew the answer._

_"Just before dawn."_

_"Gertie, tell me you two were arguing. Please, tell me it was you."_

_By the look on her face, Jack knew it could only have been one person, and as he started to put two and two together, a look of panic etched itself upon his face. He quickly patted down his clothing, checking all of his pockets. It was gone._

—

Thunder boomed overhead. Lightning lit up the sky in quick flashes. Sheets of rain pelted their faces, making it difficult to discern what was in front of them. The next few moments passed in a blur of steel upon steel, fists to faces, a never ending chess match of wits and will. Elizabeth was too quick. Though, these men, she admitted, were far more skilled than anyone she'd come up against thus far. She was able to maneuver just enough to avoid any deadly strikes.

Her two handed attack was difficult for some of them to defend against, twenty men turned to fifteen, fifteen turned to ten. The ten that remained were quick, fierce, unrelenting, and they were learning, adapting. The gash in her arm was starting to slow her down. The limb felt heavy and she couldn't react quick enough. She received a hard kick to the gut sending her backwards. She managed to somersault backwards and get to her feet, just barely escaping a slash at her neck as she came up.

She needed an advantage and quickly.

She took stock of her surroundings. There was nothing behind her but a wall, and they were closing in quickly. She waited for them to get just a touch closer before she ran back toward the wall, vaulting off of it with her foot and flipping over the heads of the surrounding men. She landed behind them and cut down two more. Only eight to go, she thought.

—

_Elizabeth returned to her ship, feeling unwell. How could she kill that innocent man? How could she let Christian control her like that?_

_Her thoughts were interrupted by that familiar voice. "Have I give you a reason to doubt me, Elizabeth?" Christian had appeared next to her at the helm._

_"No, but that doesn't mean. I have to agree with every demand you make of me. I'm still autonomous, if I remember correctly. I never gave you permission to lord over me."_

_"If you don't trust me, this is never going to work. I know what's best for you." He caressed her cheek. Elizabeth jumped back at the realization that he was more than just a projection._

_"You want me to trust you? Then stop lying to me. Who the hell is Erebus? Is that you?"_

_"It is."_

_"So you're not the man who defeated Chaos."_

_"You made that assumption on your own. It was easier to let you keep believing that. My story is a bit more complicated."_

_"Un-complicate it."_

_"Our purpose hasn't changed, and knowing who I am makes no difference. Do you wish to save the world from itself, or don't you?"_

_"Of course I do, but I will not kill senselessly."_

_"There will come a moment when you will be under attack by those who would like to stop you. How will you discern then, who is innocent and who is not?"_

_"I'll just have to do a better job of keeping to the shadows, and you'll need to stay the hell out of my head."_

_Christian gave her a lopsided smirk._

_"So, where to next?" She asked._

_"I need you to sail to India. There's a sword I need you to find."_

_"Not an ordinary sword, I'm guessing."_

_"Hardly."_

_—_

Jack knew she was dangerous, he just didn't know how dangerous. How deluded had she become? She'd become a cold blooded killer. Her main objective was survival, and damn anyone who would stand in her way. As she cut down two more men, Jack realized he needed to get himself far away from this mess. He carefully slunk toward the gangplank of the Devil. Franko still hid, holding the young girl just feet away from the fracas. Jack tried to get his attention, but Franko sat muttering prayers as he clutched the little girl tightly to his chest. Finally Jack yelled "Franko!"

—

_Jack sailed out of Norway as quickly as possible. He pointed his ship toward shipwreck cove and locked himself in his cabin for the remainder of the trip. Gregor was right. Elizabeth was working toward the very idea she was hoping to prevent. Knowingly? He wasn't certain. It wouldn't have been like her to kill someone for no reason, especially not Gregor. Maybe she wasn't alone? Jack needed answers. Teague was the only logical person he could think of even though Gregor had warned against it. He said if Teague had a part in sending her there, then he wasn't of his right mind. He'd been brainwashed as so many others were._

_He paced the cabin back and forth, unable to sit, unable to sleep. Not even rum could soothe his nerves at this point._

_Out of the shadows a small light bounced in the air. "Great, I've started hallucinating." He said aloud as the light grew larger and larger before him. It had grown so bright he had to shield his eyes, lest he go blind. "What the bloody hell?" He exclaimed._

_"Jack Sparrow" A voice called to him. He'd recognize that accent anywhere. He looked up to see Calypso standing before him in the form of Tia Dalma._

_"You? You did this to her." He marched up to Calypso, getting in her face._

_"I did nothing. But I am here to help you now." She stated plainly._

_"How do I know it's really you? Apparently there's been someone masquerading about as you as of late." He scoffed at her. _

_Calypso sauntered toward Jack and pressed her lips to his, kissing him with great ardor._

_After releasing him, he answered convinced "Alright, it's you."_

_"Elizabeth is in danger." _

_"I'd be more worried about everyone else."_

_"She's under his control."_

_"Whose?"_

_"Chaos."_

_"I thought you said he was dead."_

_"Well, he is. It is his son Erebus, trapped in human form."_

_"Seems to be a big problem for you lot."_

_"He's been gathering followers to help him collect all of the hidden magic that had dispersed in order to restore his father's power."_

_"To bring him back to life. Yes, I've heard the story."_

_"No, to take the power for himself, but he can't do it alone. He believes Elizabeth is the reincarnation of his sister Nyx, without her, he is unable to harness the power of the chest once she has opened it. The pendant she stole from you is the key to that chest. He only has a few artifacts left to find until his plan succeeds."_

_"And then he and Lizzy will take over the world."_

_"I don't imagine he wishes to share. He'll need a blood sacrifice to consume her power. Whose blood do you think he'll use?"_

_Jack was silent._

_"There's a war coming, Jack Sparrow, make no mistake. You'll need to be prepared if you plan to stop him, and you'll need to get Elizabeth far away from him."_

_—_

She stopped dead when she heard it. "Franko". A gruff voice behind her. It was him. He'd lured her here. Preyed upon her weakness in an attempt to kill her? Capture her? Her distraction cost her greatly as a sword came down hard across her back. Letting out a guttural scream, she returned her focus to the fight, a barrage of punches came at her, steel flashed by her face giving her barely enough time to counter. One man grabbed a hold of her from behind while another took the opportunity to get in some damaging shots. A mixture of rain and blood was clouding her vision as she struggled against her captor.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack ushering the little girl back down the alley way and something took over her. Adrenaline was pumping full force through her veins. She jerking her arm free, she elbowed the man holding her directly in the groin. As he fell to the ground, she kicked in his face with the heel of her boot. She turned on the remaining men in a furious rage. It was over. No one was leaving alive. One by one the men fell until only one remained. He picked up another sword to even the fight between them. He was quick and gave her a little fight. After parrying a few expertly placed blows, Elizabeth countered with decisive strikes causing the man to stumble. Another blow knocked away one of his swords. He thrust toward her middle, and she swiped it away as if it was a meandering pest. The man dropped his weapon and fell to his knees, holding his hands up in surrender. Jack watched from the base of the gangplank, feeling sick to his stomach.

"Please, show some mercy." The man cried.

Breathing heavily, rain soaked and bleeding, Elizabeth approached the man.

"I beg you." He said again.

Elizabeth locked eyes with Jack as she held her swords crossed at the man's neck. She waited for Jack to step in, to make a move, to acknowledge her in anyway. He remained still. In one swift movement she moved her arms outward, slicing the man's head clean off. Elizabeth sheathed the scimitars behind her, pulled from her tunic the rolled up bit of parchment, and dropped it on the body of the slain man. _You want it so badly, Jack Sparrow? Here it is._

—

Jack couldn't breathe, couldn't move. This was not Elizabeth, something else had take over. He feared that it may be too late to save her. He feared that he inadvertently may have unleashed something terrible upon the world, something terrible within her. She dropped the parchment on the body of his slain crew member. She was challenging him…or was she surrendering? He couldn't focus, couldn't maintain her gaze. He was surrounded by death. Deaths that could only be blamed on him. By the time he had regained any semblance of his senses, she'd disappeared into the night.

And only a voice in his head remained echoing _Follow her, Jack_.

—-

A/N: A Scimitar is a middle eastern style sword with a curved blade and a Sai is a three pronged type of dagger (knife). I imagined that Elizabeth trained in various different fighting styles, and sort of customized them all into what worked best for her which includes using different types of weaponry.


	32. Aftermath II

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates. So many things have gotten in the way, including myself. Thank you for all the reviews and new favorites/follows. It all means the world to me. Enjoy!**

**Aftermath II**

_Follow her, Jack._ His own voice reverberated about his skull. He wanted to. He knew it was necessary, but he couldn't get his feet to move. He was in absolute shock.

Jack looked across the cobblestones, eyes scanning the slain bodies of his crew. He could hear the groaning of those who had not yet passed but were gravely injured. There may be a few survivors hidden among the wreckage, he thought. He walked slowly among them, holding a hand to his mouth as he moved through, trying not to wretch. Eyes damp and stomach churning, he couldn't tear his gaze away from the carnage before him. Most of his men would not last the hour. He found a handful who managed to escape without a mortal wound, and he ordered them to help any other survivors they could find.

Jack continued to retrace the steps of the brawl. The little girl had long since fled the scene and he hoped she was young enough to eventually forget the horrors witnessed. Perhaps Elizabeth was not the only one who had crossed a line this day. He heard panicked whispering from behind a stack of crates and followed eagerly. Franko was huddled behind them, rapidly spouting off prayers to every god he could think of.

"Franko, thank the gods." Jack exhaled in relief upon realizing his friend had made it through the ruckus without even a scratch.

"Captain, you're alive." He looked up, a small not-quite-smile crept onto his lips.

"Just barely." He said pulling Franko to his feet.

Franko looked around in horror, not knowing to what extent the violence had reached. "It seems all did not go according to plan." He said with appropriately placed venom.

"A grave miscalculation on my part." Jack responded despondently.

The sound of a woman's scream pierced the night air. Jack and Franko turned to find a small crowd gathering around them. The source of the scream was holding the hand of the young girl who pointed toward the two men. Horses could be heard in the distance, getting louder and louder as they neared.

"The Pandurs, Jack! I think it's time we embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions." Franko whispered.

"We'll never make it out of the harbor. We don't have near enough men to get the Devil moving." Jack said with defeat. He didn't want to run, he didn't want to fight. What would be the point? He'd grown tired of deals, schemes, adventures. Everything was falling apart around him. "Go, take the men and run. I'll stay behind."

"Jack, they'll hang you." Franko insisted.

"Wouldn't be the first time." Barked a voice from the shadows. "Perhaps I can be of assistance?" Barbossa cackled. "I've more than enough crew to spare" He added leering at Jack, indicating a small group of men standing behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked accusingly.

"Ask your questions later, do you want my help or not?" Barbossa asked gruffly. The crowd was increasing in size and the sound of horses was growing closer by the second. Jack took a quick look around.

"All right, let's move." Jack resigned.

Barbossa gave a loud whistle and five men joined Jack and his whittled down crew. Jack barked a few orders to Franko and ushered everyone onto the Devil, Barbossa included.

"Where's the Pearl?" Jack asked, surprised to find Barbossa following him up the gang plank.

"She's in capable hands. We'll be meeting her due south." Barbossa said with a wide grin, leaving Jack feeling uneasy.

"How did you find me?" Jack asked while he overlooked the harbor.

"Blind luck." Barbossa laughed and his eyes scanned the bloody scene that littered the docks.

"Hell hath no fury, eh Jackie?" He added.

Jack broke eye contact with the harbor and faced Barbossa "Don't call me that." He stated resolutely before walking toward the helm.

—

Elizabeth made it to her ship as swiftly as she could given her injuries. Jack made no attempt to follow her, but she couldn't risk being found by anyone. She'd tucked the vessel away in a cove on the southern side of the coast far enough away from civilization that no one would happen upon it, but easy for her to get to. It was a cutter, a small sailing vessel with three big sails and a small hatch beneath the deck for her to take shelter when the elements were too much.

It had always been easy enough for her to manage solo, but with her current injuries, preparing to sail was much more difficult. Every move she made to haul up the anchor sent waves of pain coursing through her body. Every pull of rope to unfurl the sails made her cry in anguish.

When she finally got the ship underway, she set her course due south and tied off the helm, before retreating below deck to tend to her wounds.

She had a small trunk filled with various supplies: Candles, food, rum, needle and thread, flint and steel. She removed her cloak, the various belts and baldrics strapped to her person, the weapons that previously occupied them having been thrown aside, and plopped next to the chest. She rummaged for a somewhat clean rag and the bottle of rum. She took off her leather vest and slowly peeled away the shirt that was clinging to the dried blood on her arms and back. She let out an audible hiss as the last bit of shirt was shirked from the slice across her back. Elizabeth couldn't see the wound in question but she knew it was going to be a difficult one to maintain on her own.

Leaving that thought for another moment, she turned her focus to the deep cut on her arm. She took a rather large swig of rum and lit one of the candles. It was an angry gash that ran from the top of her shoulder across the inside of her bicep. She grimaced as she poured a bit of rum over the wound to clean it.

She grabbed the needle and held it over the candle and dipped it in the rum for added sterilization. It took a great amount of will and concentration for her to stitch up the gash. It had always been easier to take the pain when someone else stitched her up and she didn't have to look at it, but left with no other option, she had to stomach every pierce of the skin as she deftly sewed up her arm. She had to give her self a pat on the back, it was fine needlework for as much pain as she was in. A clean line of stitches. It hardly looked as ghastly as it had before.

Elizabeth swallowed another gulp of rum as she pondered what to do about the slice across her back. Obviously, stitching it up was out of the question, and she wasn't sure she had enough linen to bandage it up. She took out two mirrors from the chest and attempted to position them in a way that she could see behind her. It was a troublesome wound, indeed. Two, in fact. One that ran from her left hip to her right shoulder blade and another that intersected it vertically down the left side of her back. There was no fixing that.

She poured some water over it as best she could to rid herself of blood and debris and followed that up with a small dousing of the rum. She seethed as the liquid burned her open wounds. She ripped strips of clean linen away from her blood soaked shirt and placed them gingerly over the wound keeping them in place with some bindings. It wasn't enough to cover them completely, but it would have to do for now until she reached Alexandria. She donned the only other shirt she had with her and took another deep pull from her bottle of rum.

Her entire body ached from head to toe. She'd never taken on so many men all on her own, and certainly not with such veracity. Her adrenaline had started to wane and the pain started creeping in at an exponential rate while at the same time allowing her mind to review the events that had just taken place. She drained the rest of the bottle and made to lean against the hull of the ship when a sharp pain reminded her why she couldn't. The frustration from the pain and the emotion she was desperately trying to keep at bay burst forth all at once in the form of guttural scream followed by a heart wrenching sob. She hurled the empty bottle at the adjacent wall and it shattered across the floor. Another bottle was retrieved from the chest and consumed greedily. Before long, Elizabeth had drunk herself into a fitful sleep to stave off the pain and the evenings events she so badly wanted to forget.

—-

The Red Devil met the Pearl several kilometers into the Adriatic. Somehow they managed to get away from port before the Pandurs had arrived. Barbossa crossed the plank leading back onto the Pearl, but not before requesting Jack's presence before the night was up. Jack reluctantly agreed and ordered for two men to keep watch in the crow's nest to keep a weather eye out for following ships as well as potential threats ahead. Before Jack ventured to the Pearl he took a detour toward the Captain's cabin. He grabbed the closest bottle of rum he could find and downed it in one swig.

Wiping the excess liquid from his mouth he gave a long look toward the side cabin. The door was closed as it always was. Truthfully, Jack never went in there. He slept in the spare bed in the main cabin, if he slept at all. Not long after Peru, Jack had moved all of her belongings into the side cabin. It had been too much to bare seeing her things, the items that made her so quintessentially Elizabeth. The bed they shared still smelled of her. Keeping the door closed kept it somewhat contained, but somehow the scent of lavender and honey found its way out and wafted about the ship. It was those moments he regretted not taking the Pearl for himself when Barbossa afforded him the chance.

He continued to stare, trying to make sense of what he'd seen, what his next move should be, but he couldn't focus. The image of her standing over those bodies, scimitars glistening with crimson, the daggers her eyes sent forth was permanently burned into his brain, and he was fearful…of her.

Jack found another partially emptied bottle of rum and took another swig before departing to the Pearl.

His boots hit the charcoal deck and he was suddenly thrust back in time; the image of a young captain trying to keep peace among his crew while his first mate demanded an equal share; a silhouette of a man shackled to the main mast and a young woman desperately trying to show she wasn't afraid; the silhouette of a pirate king, as fierce and strong as she was cunning with blonde hair flying into the wind, leading an unlikely squadron into battle.

So many memories reminded him of his weaknesses.

Jack casually strolled into the captain's cabin, his old cabin, attempting to put on a show of indifference, but that was washed away at the sight of Barbossa and Teague sitting at the table waiting for him.

"These are the capable hands you left the pearl in? I think you've gone a bit touched, Hector."

"Sit down, son. There is much to discuss." Teague piped in.

"Is there?!" Jack's voiced raised to an almost immediate fever pitch.

"Yes, we need to get Elizabeth-" Teague continued in that irritatingly calm drawl that Jack always hated.

"Don't you dare say her name!" Jack slammed his hands on the table.

"Jack." Barbossa tried to calm him

"I haven't forgotten, old man. Whether it was conscious or not, you gave her to them." Jack barked unabashedly.

"Because you were too stupid to stick around and admit that you loved her" Teague yelled back.

Jack was seething "If Elizabeth is what we are here to discuss, he needs to go." He said in a tempered tone and turned to Barbossa with deadly seriousness in his eyes. "I'm not discussing her with him."

Barbossa sighed and rolled his eyes. Teague stood still for a moment, trying to hold his ground. Hector gave a nod in his direction and Teague reluctantly exited the cabin.

"I know ye don't trust him, Jack, but he's on our side." Barbossa said after Teague had left the cabin.

"That remains to be seen." Jack had found his way to the Captain's chair, making himself comfortable.

Barbossa folded his arms and leaned against the table next to him. "Listen, lad. Ye can't blame him for what's happened."

"Watch me."

"Do ye really want to tug on that thread, boy?" Barbossa needled him.

"You think it's my fault, do you?" Jack asked accusingly, feeling overwhelmingly defensive.

"There's blame enough to go around. Pointing fingers isn't going to bring her back to ye."

Jack stood. "No, it's not, but I'll sleep better at night." He began to pace the length of the cabin, stepping hard on a few planks as he walked back and forth.

"What happened back there?" Barbossa asked watching him closely.

"A mistake. I took a gamble…" Jack paused. "but I underestimated the lengths she would go to protect herself."

"You do that quite a lot."

Jack laughed uncomfortably. "Love; a terrible weakness." Jack stopped in the middle of the room and stamped his boot hard on the floor beneath him. He bent down, pulled a knife from his boot and began prying at the plank in question.

"What're ye doing, Jack?" Barbossa asked as Jack finally freed the offending piece of wood.

"I need a drink." Jack responded pulling a bottle of rum from the floorboards.

"How long has that been there?" Barbossa asked genuinely curious.

"Since I was Captain of the Wench. As you know, the consumption of rum was highly frowned upon, so I had to improvise. Always kept an emergency stash. Quite surprised you hadn't found it, honestly."

"I never was much for the drink. Clouds yer judgement."

"No different from anything else." He said uncorking the bottle and taking a large gulp. "Now, I don't suspect you brought me here to talk only of Elizabeth?"

"We have a problem, Jack. A dire one."

"The Imperial Navy."

"They're growing, exponentially so. I just got word that the Ottomans recently gifted two fleets equipped with some 20,000 sailors each. The world leaders have gone mad at the prospect of absolute power. The seas are even more dangerous now than before we bound Calypso. Shipwreck Cove is nearly a pile of rubble. We've no place left to hide. We need your help to stop them"

"_My_ help? Hah. By my reckoning, Shipwreck Cove was already a pile of rubble. How do you propose I help? I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but things are only going to get worse. The Imperial Navy, Teague, you and I, we are all puppets in a far more dangerous game."

Barbossa looked at him curiously, waiting for him to continue, but Jack maintained his gaze upon the dusty rum bottle in front of him. "Care to Elaborate?" Barbosa finally prompted.

Jack explained everything that happened in Norway, told him of Gregor's warning, and finally of his visit from Calypso and why he was in Dubrovnik.

"You were after the parchment too." Barbossa stated in complete bafflement.

"Aye, I need it to save Elizabeth." Jack laughed inwardly at his own statement. _When did I become the whelp? _"Though, it's probably too late."

"I wouldn't give up on her so quickly, Jack." Barbossa replied with surprise sincerity. "We'll need her on our side."

"You think I don't know that? She's not the same. She's completely without discretion under the control of a lunatic who believes her to be the reincarnation of an ancient god capable of unspeakable magic."

"All the more incentive to get her to fight with us. We could defeat this blasted navy once and for all. Freedom for all."

"Freedom won't help us against an immortal maniac, and we can't very well hope for freedom until I figure out how to sever his hold on Elizabeth."

"Don't be foolish, Jack. She knows what full well what she's doing. She spared you, went out of her way to save Jonathan, and had every opportunity to gut me after I found her little hiding spot. She's still in there, somewhere."

"I'm not so sure anymore." Jack said solemnly, remembering the gleam in her eye as she struck down the last man.

—

It took eleven days to reach Alexandria. The winds were fair and the weather was kind. Elizabeth grimaced adjusting the salsas her ship entered the harbor. With great effort, she anchored the ship, grabbed all of her things and left the ship, tossing a few coins to the harbor master as she walked by. "She's all yours" She'd said in Arabic.

She stumbled through Alexandria, trying to remain inconspicuous, but failing miserably. The wound across her back had not healed at all and the pain had only increased ten fold. She spent most of her trip in a drunken stupor trying to rid her mind of the pain, and erase everything that happened in Croatia, only standing at the helm when necessary and only for as long as her body allowed her.

Her brain was in a perpetual fog. She figured the wound was probably infected now as fever had set in a day or two before. She could hardly find her way through the streets. She was to meet Lalo, she could remember that much, but where seemed a broken memory lost in the aforementioned fog.

Miraculously her feet continued to move one after the other. Well, not so miraculously. She had help. In any other instant, she would be livid with Christian for interfering, but she was grateful for she didn't think she'd be able to make it anywhere on her own in her current state.

She turned down a narrow street and stopped in front of a tall, red door. She didn't remember raising a fist, but she unmistakably hear the sound of a knock reverberating loudly in her ears.

Lalo opened the door, and Elizabeth collapsed at his feet.


	33. Duplicity

**Duplicity**

Elizabeth's opened her eyes slowly and quickly shut them again, the light proving too bright for her to handle. Her body felt unbelievably heavy, aching from head to toe. She could hardly move a limb, but she could feel a firm bunk beneath her tired body. A faint hint of burning sage tickled her nose. She dared to open her eyes again. A fire burned in the hearth directly in front of her, giving off the amber glow that forced her to close her eyes just moments before. The walls appeared to be made of a hard sand and the only window was near the ceiling. There was a table next to her that was covered in small bowls of water and oils, linens soaked with blood, and she suddenly gained awareness of where she was and why she felt so miserable. She tried to lift herself up, but a voice stopped her.

"Do not move, I am nearly finished." Lalo spoke in a deep, soothing tone as he readied needle and thread.

"Lalo, you found me." She exhaled in relief and lay herself back down.

"You found me, miss. You were practically at death's door, so to speak. Fortunately for you, I only had to cut away a small bit of rotting flesh." He said, pulling the needle through the open folds of skin lining her back.

"I barely remember pulling into port." She winced.

"You were out cold for nearly a day and a half. How did this happen?" He asked her, hoping to keep her mind from focusing on his task.

"I became distracted." She said into the bed linens.

"Distracted? I didn't think that was possible." He teased her.

"I could see it was a trap. I knew I was the target." She rambled deliriously

"What kind of trap?" Lalo continued to weave the needle in and out of the wound, stopping occasionally to wipe away excess blood.

"One I shouldn't have fallen into."

"I'm loathe to imagine you running head first into a trap knowingly."

"I had to. A child's life was in danger, could have been in danger. Had I known it was him, I would have run the other way. I should have run the other way."

Lalo remained silent. She was being purposefully vague, as if stalling the inevitable would somehow fix it in her mind, be she couldn't keep it in.

"Jack. He was waiting for me."

"That should have been an easy fight to win." Lalo tried very hard not to react to that news. He had grown quite fond of Elizabeth, but he knew any involvement with the pirate meant trouble for everyone. No one but Lalo had seen the fury in Christian's eyes the day she refused to kill Jack Sparrow. Elizabeth had been the only one able to resist Christian's mind play. Though it only happened the one time it was a fact which Christian had not prepared for, a fact that made him paranoid, irrational, and, at times, violent.

"He was prepared. He had trained men, trained killers." She continued, reliving the events in her mind, still unable to process them properly.

"You think he meant to kill you?" Lalo asked surprised.

"I don't know what to think." She said honestly.

"Your pirate remains a weakness in you. He will not be pleased." Lalo said, referring to Christian.

"I know." She muttered, frustrated.

"You obtained the parchment, at least?" He asked hopeful.

"Yes." It wasn't a complete fabrication. She memorized the parchment as she did with all the maps she encountered. Just in case. No one needed to know of her final lapse in judgement. She would get them to their destination all the same.

"Good. I am finished. You must rest before we depart. In two days we will leave." He said wiping his hands with a cloth.

"No." She said brusquely, struggling to lift herself to a sitting position "We leave in the morning. I'll be fine."

"But…"

"We can't afford anymore setbacks." She spoke through gritted teeth. _And Jack Sparrow will be nipping at our heels before long, _she wanted to add.

"As you wish. It'll take a little more than a week to ride to Suez where our ship will be waiting." Lalo bowed slightly before taking his leave of her. "Christian will meet us in Singapore." He said from the door.

"Christian?" She sounded more surprised than she intended. "He never accompanies us."

"It is the last artifact. He wishes to be there."

"I see." _Shit._

_"_The end is nearly upon us, Miss Swann. A lifetime of work finally rewarded. Our accomplishments given weight." Lalo seemed cheerful at the prospect, as if a new life awaited him, and she supposed it did.

"What comes after?" She couldn't help asking.

"An answer I've been longing to hear for quite sometime." He smiled and shut the door behind him.

Elizabeth attempted to stand up. Her legs were shaky and her head was dizzy. Lalo must have given her opium for the pain. She needed to walk around to get her head clear. She focused on her breathing and paced slowly around the small room. She tried to fight through the pain, the skin on her back felt like it was ripping apart. She continued to walk, tears brimming her eyelids. How was she to sit atop a camel for hours on end, traveling through the desert, in her condition?

No more setbacks, she told herself. She had to reach Singapore before Jack, before Christian found out she'd given him the parchment. A thought that still baffled her. She'd completely snapped on the docks and in the moment, she supposed, none of it mattered to her anymore. Perhaps, subconsciously, she wanted him to follow her. But then what? He'd probably try to kill her again.

She shook away her ramblings and tried to focus on what Lalo had said. They're duties were near completion and she felt a mixture of relief and extreme trepidation. What would come next for Elizabeth Swann? All of this, all of her choices were to fulfill this purpose and now it was nearly finished? A more worrisome thought crossed her mind: _Perhaps I will not survive to see what comes next. Perhaps I don't deserve to._

_—_

"All hands! Ship sighted off the starboard side!" Jonathan yelled from the crows nest as he scampered down the rigging to ring the ship's bell.

Jack and Barbossa shared a look before quickly racing out of the main cabin. As surely as the sun rose in the East, Jack could see a rather large Spanish galleon sailing toward them.

"They're signaling to parlay, Captain." Jonathan bellowed again, perched on the main top yard.

"Thoughts?" Barbossa turned toward Jack.

"You're asking me?" Jack responded in sincere surprise.

"Spanish ship. You've more experience dealing with them than I."

"Definitely gone touched, mate." He whispered under his breath. "Hand me a spy-glass." He said sticking his hand out in front of Hector while he squinted into the distance.

Barbossa reached into his coat and plopped the item in Jack's outstretched hand.

"I don't believe it." Jack said collapsing the spy-glass and tossing it back to Hector.

"What?"

"Signal them over, but don't give them permission to board." Jack yelled to Jonathan.

"Who is it?" Barbossa urged again.

"Espinoza."

"You're joking."

" 'fraid not." Jack began to chuckle slightly. "Though it is funny."

"This is why I say 'tis better to leave no loose ends." Barbossa growled meaningfully, shoving the spy-glass back in his coat.

"Aye. I'll not be making the same mistake twice." Jack said with a steely gaze. "My views on the matter have changed dramatically after recent experiences."

"Glad to hear it." Barbossa smirked wickedly.

—

"I want the map, Sparrow." Espinoza yelled over a small gap between the two ships.

"I don't have any clue what you're talking about, mate." Jack yelled back.

"Do you take me for a fool?"

"Does he really want me to answer that?" He said to Barbossa. "Where's the rest of your fleet?" Jack yelled back to Espinoza.

"Otherwise engaged."

"Ah. So the Imperial Navy has deemed you expendable, aye?"

"I know your Harlot took possession of it. Where is she?" Espinoza was growing irritated.

"Ah. There's the mix up, then. Sorry to say, the harlot in question is no longer mine. If she ran off with the bloody thing, well, you followed the wrong ship."

"One of my men saw her speaking to your friend there. They were working together."

Jack looked to Barbossa who shook his head. "She wanted no part in what I had to offer." Jack squinted his eyes at Hector wondering what exactly he meant by "offer".

"He says your man was mistaken." Jack yelled back.

"Then I'm afraid you leave me no choice." Espinoza turned his back to the Pearl and was about to give the all fire signal when he noticed the Red Devil had slowly positioned itself on the opposite side, trapping his ship. The few men he had on deck were more engrossed in the captainly exchange than they were about keeping watch. "Not one of you noticed a second ship?!" Espinoza screamed in frustration.

"You were saying, mate?" Jack yelled with a devilish smile.

"Fire all!" Barbossa screamed.

"Fire all!" Espinoza shouted.

A rather short melee ensued. The three ships fired at once. The Neptuno was sinking quickly. Espinoza and a small group of swordsmen swung onto the Pearl hoping to distract Jack and Barbossa long enough for the rest his men to swing over to the Red Devil, assuming it as the easier vessel to over power. A partial truth; however, the Devil also happened to be most heavily stocked with powder. At Jack's signal, a few well aimed cannons fired upon the hold of the Devil, setting it ablaze. Moments later, the ship exploded, leaving the majority of Espinoza's crew blown to bits.

Jack was locked in battle with Espinoza, who, to his own credit, wasn't a bad swordsman. However, he was no match for Jack. Blow after blow, Jack struck hard with fury. Nostrils flared, eyes black, he fought like he never had before. No tricks, no games, just sword against sword, strength against strength. Truth be told, Jack was having a pretty lousy couple of days and he would make sure it was Diego Espinoza who paid the price.

Espinoza had been backed up against the railing. He quickly surveyed the deck behind his attacker. Not a living crewman (of his) remained, so he threw his hands up in surrender and dropped his sword to the deck. "Please, please." He begged, as Jack drew nearer. "I'll give you whatever you want. Tell you whatever you want. If you spare me, please, I swear it."

"And why should I believe a word out of that rotting mouth?"

"I know you, Jack Sparrow. You're a good man. That's what they all say. In spite of all that you aren't, what you are is…merciful." Espinoza rambled quickly

"Mercy, is it? That is what you desire from me?" Jack asked as he slunk closer to the cowering man.

"Please?" Espinoza was in tears.

"Very well." Jack said and paused a moment before plunging his sword through Espinoza's heart. "I'll spare you from having to spend another moment in this miserable life. Consider the quickness with which you'll be liberated my gift of _mercy_." He twisted the sword and plunged it deeper, pulling Espinoza toward him. "and it's _Captain_ Jack Sparrow" Jack whispered finally before pulling back his sword and dropping Espinoza to the deck.

Jack turned to find Barbossa smirking at him. "What?"

Barbossa never answered him but instead started barking orders for the crew to make sail.

"Do we have a heading, Captain Sparrow?"

Jack sighed and pulled the map from inside his coat. Barbossa eyed it incredulously. "You did have it." Hector was practically salivating over the sight of it. "How were you able to get it from her?"

"She gave it up." Jack shrugged unable to give an adequate reason. He himself had yet to figure what she had to gain by leaving the blasted thing with him.

"And you're worried she won't play nice with us?" Barbossa asked.

"I wouldn't exactly trust her actions as any kind of olive branch. You saw what she did to my crew."

"When forced to defend herself. You don't think it made her the slightest bit angry that you sent an army in to kill her?" Barbossa attempted to grab the map from Jack's hands.

Jack pulled the map back quickly. "Not to kill, incapacitate maybe, but never kill."

"Makes no difference to her, I'd wager. Well, where are we headed?" He asked, impatiently.

"Singapore."

—

The sun beat down on them as they rode across the Egyptian sands. The heat seemed to radiate from everywhere. They'd traveled four days and Elizabeth had never been so miserable in all her life. The fabric of her clothes clung to every inch of her body, the air was so thick she could barley breathe, and she was almost certain she pulled apart half of the stitching on her back. A few hours more, she kept telling herself as she struggled to stay upright. Thinking about the distance in smaller chunks made it slightly more bearable. Though, as she looked on at the expanse in front of them, she couldn't fathom how it was possible there was anything other than sand beyond the horizon.

Elizabeth noticed the sun beginning to set and thanked whatever gods allowed such a miracle to happen. Though the lack of visibility made her uneasy. Thankfully, Lalo appeared confident in their current heading.

Two more hours they rode when Lalo decided to stop outside of Cairo. Elizabeth could just make out the vague silhouette of a pyramid. "We should rest here." He said, turning back toward Elizabeth.

"How much further?" Elizabeth asked as she pulled up along side him.

"Three days, maybe four" Lalo responded looking straight ahead of them.

"You're certain you haven't gotten us lost?" She said in jest, hiding a small amount of seriousness in her question.

Lalo gave her a pointed look to which she smiled cheekily in response. "The camels need rest, you need rest." He said jumping down to the sand.

"I can go a bit further." She insisted none to convincingly, wincing as she swung her leg to the other side of the camel. "At least far enough to get to the city. Wouldn't you like to sleep in a bed tonight?" She asked leaning against the camel.

"No. We will rest here." Lalo had pulled blankets from one of the saddle bags and placed them on the sand. "Sit."

"I'm all right." She said, wobbling slightly.

"You're not. If your face didn't give you away, the blood staining your clothes certainly would. Stop being stubborn, lie down, and let me stitch you back up." He said sternly.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and did as she was told. "You're fussing over nothing."

Lalo was rummaging through the saddle bags and sat down next to her with clean linen, a bottle of rum, needle and thread, and small brown case. "If I don't take care of this now, you risk further infection. We've still a long journey to Singapore."

"I could have made it to the ship. Although, I still don't believe there is actually any water out there. I haven't felt a breeze all day." Silently she was reminded of World's End and the way Jack had described his time there, the torture he'd faced, the torture she'd caused. This was merely a sliver to what he experienced, she could only imagine to what lengths the locker drove his insanity. The thought made his actions on the docks appear less and less unfounded. So often she was at the crux of his misery. How could he ever have loved her? Tears began to well up as Lalo lifted her shirt.

"Tsk, tsk." He clucked at her. "We could have waited one more day." He said examining the reopened wound, not noticing the small shudder that racked her body.

"No, we couldn't." She sniffed, willing the tears to stop, willing herself to strengthen her resolve. She couldn't find composure, couldn't focus on her breathing. When she closed her eyes all she could see was Jack and the way he had looked at her when they squared off in the harbor. "We have to get there first."

"First?" Lalo's hands stilled. She said nothing. "Elizabeth?" He questioned her the same way her father had when she was a little girl and had gotten into some form of trouble or another.

"Jack has the parchment." She admitted against her better judgement, but she found she didn't much care. Exhaustion had taken over.

"He took it from you, in the skirmish?"

"I gave it to him."

"Gave it to him?! Daft woman, are you trying to bring the wrath of Christian upon us all?"

"I memorized the map. I can still get us there."

"Foolish girl. He will expect to see the map. What on earth would possess you to give it to Sparrow? After he tried to kill you, no less."

"I don't know. I wasn't myself. Something just snapped."

"If Jack reaches Singapore before we do, Christian will kill him. Make no mistake about that." Lalo paused for a moment and sighed, "For now, we continue on as planned and attempt to keep Christian in the dark for as long as possible." Lalo continued to stitch the wound.

"I'm sure he already knows." She said resignedly.

"Contrary to what you might think, he doesn't spend all of his time playing about that head of yours."

"Only most of his time. I feel him, Lalo. He's always there, a niggling presence in the back of my mind. There's something else he wants from me, I know it. I wish he'd just come out with it. I've grown so tired of games." Elizabeth had become completely unfiltered in her delirium. She half expected Christian to manifest himself before them in that instant and throttle her for her transgressions.

"He will reveal all when it is time. That is how it is." Lalo said calmly.

"You put quite a lot of faith in him without very much to go on. That sort of power makes a man dangerous. Coupled with the fact that he has supernatural abilities, makes him extremely dangerous."

"Five years you've spent doing his bidding without a second thought, why question him now?"

"As I said, something's changed in me. I can't explain it."

"Try" He urged her.

"It's as if there's a force inside of me trying to get out, trying to warn me."

Lalo gave her a very peculiar look. One that, if she could see it, would have led her to believe he knew why she was experiencing such things. Thankfully, she could not as Lalo was bandaging her midsection.

"I know. I sound mad." She added.

"Finished." He exclaimed and ignored her last statement.

Elizabeth made an attempt to sit up. "It's too tight" She said, sitting on her knees.

"This will better keep the stitches together until we reach the ship. You can loosen your bindings once we arrive. Rest now. Don't argue." Lalo sat down and opened the brown case he'd grabbed earlier.

"Yes, Father." She scoffed at him as she lay herself back down.

"Thank the gods I'm not. I might have drunk myself to death trying to rear you. Assuming, of course, you were always this difficult." Lalo was fidgeting with what looked like a pipe and a sticky black substance she could only assume was opium.

"Sometimes more." She laughed as Lalo lit the pipe and took a long drag.

"Your father must have been a saint." Lalo passed her the pipe.

"I like to believe so." She murmured. Elizabeth followed suit and took a long drag from the pipe, holding the smoke in as he did. A warmth instantly fell over her face and her limbs went tingly. It felt as she was being carefully lifted toward the sky. She much preferred smoking the opium to imbibing it with drink. It reminded her of the times she and Bennett smoked from his clay pipe. Though, the effects she was feeling now were far more relaxing. She lazily handed the pipe back to Lalo and surrendered her body to a dream addled slumber.

—

Jack was deep in thought as he watched the bow of the Pearl crest the gentle chop of the sea. They'd been sailing south for six days without seeing a single sail on the horizon. Jack had hoped the Pearl would've been fast enough to gain ground on Elizabeth. He'd convinced himself that she made a copy of the map, giving reason to why she so easily parted with it. But not having caught up with her, he was beginning to doubt himself. Reluctantly he pulled the compass from his belt and placed it on the railing in front of him, daring himself to open it. He shook his head at the damned thing, unable to figure how it was even remotely possible that after everything she was still what he wanted most in the world. Perhaps he was crazier than everyone thought him to be.

"In my experience most compasses need to be opened in order for them to work." Teague said, gingerly approaching his son.

"It works with the lid closed." Jack's response was terse.

"But then how do you know where it's pointing?"

"I know where it's pointing." Jack snapped back. "We should have come up on her by now. She didn't have much of a head start."

"Maybe we're sailing in the wrong direction." Jack rolled his eyes at his father "It's worth a look, Jackie."

"Maybe she gave me a fake?" Jack said with a smile that didn't quite real his eyes and put his hand on the compass, but continued to stare over the railing "It's difficult to trust anyone, even myself. I want to trust you, know that, but circumstances being what they are…"

"I don't begrudge you for that, boy. And I know why you blame me. Hell, I blame myself. I thought I was doing the right thing. She was irreparably broken when you didn't return. I didn't know we were to be pawns."

"Suppose that's why we're the pawns." Jack chuckled and opened the compass. The needle spun and swung southeast. Jack scrunched up his face in confusion. _Where in the bloody hell was she going?_

"Tell me, is there a secret waterway that leads to the red sea?" Jack asked of Teague.

"No."

_Shit. _Jack ran to the helm as quickly as he could and pulled the charts that were spread over a barrel toward him.

"What's in your head, Jack?" Barbossa asked the frantic captain from the helm.

"Shh." Jack hissed as he drew a line with his finger from where they were in the direction the compass had pointed, stopping when he hit land. "Alexandria? We need to change course immediately."

"Last I checked, the only way to Singapore is around the cape."

"Elizabeth isn't heading to Singapore."

"What difference does that make? Just means she's not after whatever it is the map leads to, she did give to you after all."

"You honestly believe that? What are you always saying about her: duplicitous, conniving, pirate?" Jack raised his eyebrows, eating for a response.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Jack," was all Barbossa could say as he turned his attention back toward the water.

"Hector." Jack was getting frustrated.

"Alright, so she's heading in a different direction. You don't think we should see where this leads us?"

"He's right, Jack. We should see it through." Teague interrupted.

"Not a moment ago you were telling me to follow her." Jack barked back to his father.

"Why can't we do both? Barbossa, set a course for Alexandria. Jack will go ashore and follow her trail. The rest of us will sail as planned to Singapore."

"This is madness." Barbossa sighed.

"An extra day of sailing isn't going to kill you, Hector." Teague said to him.

"Very well. What say you, Jack?" Barbossa and Teague both turned to Jack who was staring off into the distance.

"Jack" Teague shook him out of his thoughts.

"Aye." He whispered, wondering if he would survive facing Elizabeth a second time.

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites and follows! They mean so much to me! Y'all are the best =)**


	34. Anchored

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Apologies for the length in between updates, I was trying to work through parts of the story while having very little time alone to do so. Thank you so much for sticking it out with me. I hope you all find this chapter enjoyable and not too dense. Anyhoo, to all my reviewers and new faves/follows I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It makes me smile to no end. Without further ado, I give you...**

**Anchored **

There was more than one reason Lalo had them stop outside the city for the night. He failed to mention they had a side mission. More than likely because of her insistence on a quick journey, but she didn't bother to ask why when he woke her in the morning.

"Will you live to fight another day?" He'd asked as he stood over her sleeping form. A peculiar question. It wasn't as if she was dying, not yet anyway.

"I imagine so." She said with one eye open, staring into the silhouette of her friend, framed in a halo of light that was slowly starting to rise.

"Good. Get up and eat. We have work to do." He said, tossing her a biscuit.

"Work? I know travel by camel is cumbersome, but I'd hardly call it work." She said ripping off a hunk of the bread and shoving it into her mouth.

"That's not what I mean." He said as he pulled a sword from beneath a blanket draped over one of the camels, and strapped it to his belt.

She tried to get up quickly and winced as she stood causing her to stumble slightly. Lalo hurried to her side but she put her hand up to stay him. She was fine, just more tender than she was expecting. "I wasn't aware we had business here." She uttered through gritted teeth.

"A small detour. To the pyramid." He said pointing into the distance.

"Are we meeting someone?"

"No, merely retrieving an important piece of the puzzle. We should be undisturbed."

"Why the weapons, then?" She asked pointedly.

"Come now, Elizabeth. What is it you are always blathering on about and berating me at every turn when I suggest anything to the contrary?" He asked, pulling her swords from the camel packs.

"My dedication to preparedness is no laughing matter. It has not led me astray thus far." She said with faux haughtiness.

"Care to explain Dubrovnik?" He questioned her meaningfully.

"I wasn't prepared…which only furthers my point on its importance." She added, pointing a finger in his face.

Lalo laughed at her as he handed over her weapons. She took them roughly and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm beginning to not like you very much, dear friend." She said as she gingerly buckled her leather back strap.

"Are you certain you're able?" He asked with the fatherly concern that she so detested.

"I'm certain. Let's go. We are on borrowed time, remember?" She said walking toward the camels.

"And whose fault is that?" Lalo asked before he clucked commands for the camels to kneel down into the sand.

"I don't need a reminder. I'm well aware of what I've done." She grimaced as she mounted the camel. Lalo gave her a meaningful look as she squirmed to find a comfortable position. "Are you going to stand there gawking at me all day?" She asked flustered.

He shook his head as he climbed atop his humped steed. Each camel stood and with gentle urging from their riders, the beasts were in full stride upon the desert sands heading toward the pyramids.

—

It had been three days since The Black Pearl had left Jack in Alexandria's harbor and he was no closer to locating Elizabeth. The harbor master had made note of a wisp of thing that looked bloody well near death, but couldn't tell Jack the direction she had gone. So he made his way into the brothels and taverns and spoke with street merchants, none of whom had seen a woman near death parading through the streets. Jack was ready to give up when he came upon a man selling camels.

"You are looking for someone, yes?" The man asked Jack.

"Yes."

"A woman, slender as I've heard described, departed several days ago atop one of my camels. She was not near death as you say, but she was gravely injured. Her and her companion were very mysterious, but paid double what the camels were worth."

"Her companion?" Jack asked in surprise.

"Tall man, dark skin, tribal markings." The man said plainly.

"Did they say where they were heading?"

"I do not ask such things." the man continued to tend to his camel.

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, did you happen to see what direction they rode off?"

"If I had to guess, it would appear they were heading toward Cairo."

"How much?"

"How much for what?" The man looked up, confusion adorning his features.

"The camel?"

"She is not for sale.

"Do you have others?"

"Yes, but they are too young for travel."

"Can you at least point me in the direction of a camel that is for sale."

"I cannot."

Jack turned to walk away, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"But I can point you in the direction of a horse."

—

The pyramid before them loomed high into the sky, not as tall as the center structure nearly identical to it, but tall enough to be intimidating. The sun was above them now, and the heat was ever increasing, the air had become stifling. Elizabeth tied the camels to a hitching post while Lalo inspected the premises.

The entrance to the Pyramid was set between two tall pillars with a large granite block across the top. It wasn't elegant and if you blinked you would miss it entirely. The main passage way was blocked by a large block of sandstone. At first glance, it appeared immovable. Lalo attempted to slide it left, then right. He tried to push it forward with minimal luck. He looked around for a hidden latch or switch akin to ones adorning the temple in Peru, but none could be found. Elizabeth watched as she leaned against one of the pillars.

"Do you even know what you're looking for?" Elizabeth asked, the irony thick in her tone.

"He told me to come here, and the rest would fall into place."

Elizabeth sensed there was something he wasn't saying. "Do you ever think he's just playing with us because he can?"

"No. But instead of standing there skeptical, maybe you could help me?"

"I don't see how I can be of any help. I've no strength, and clearly we need to break down the door." She offered.

"A fresh set of eyes then, maybe you will see something that I cannot."

"Very well." Elizabeth walked toward the opening and haphazardly drew her gaze across the stones. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. She pressed her face against the wall to see if there was an indentation she missed and as she drew her hand up to the wall to support her weight, something unbelievable happened. A line of ancient hieroglyphs lit up beneath her palm, a great boom and a cloud of dust surrounded the door way as the stone moved back with a thunk and slid open. Mouth agape, Elizabeth stared into the abyss ahead of them. "What now?" She whispered to Lalo.

"We go forth." He whispered back, completely surprised by the unfolding events. A realization hit him, suspicion that had been forming in his mind for some time, but he had refused to believe the truth of it.

As Elizabeth passed the threshold, the walls were suddenly alight with torches. Hieroglyphs and pictorial reliefs adorned the walls, telling a sort of story. She stopped short and faced the wall, running her hands along the pictures. "Can you read them?" She asked.

"No, but I know what story they tell." Lalo said softly. There was something in his voice that Elizabeth couldn't quite place.

"What is it?" She asked him.

"I don't think you really wish to know." He turned his face away from her.

"Lalo, you know me better than that." She laughed.

"You already know too much for your own good, perhaps you should leave it lie."

"Please." She pleaded, her hand had come to grip his shirt sleeve tightly.

"Now is not the time." He dismissed her.

"Lalo." She pulled on his arm again.

Lalo heaved a heavy sigh and spoke "In the beginning there was Chaos, Gaea, and Eros. From Chaos was born two children, brother and sister, darkness and night…Erebus and Nyx."

"Erebus" Elizabeth whispered to herself with a small shudder, remembering the name.

"Erebus was darkness and death, the place between earth and the eternal damnation of the underworld. Nyx was a shadow of the night and a being of exceptional power and beauty and it was she who stood at the beginning of creation to bring forth all of the things that dwell in the darkness waiting to haunt mankind: Death, Fate, Doom, Sleep, Dreams, and Nightmares. Together the two of them ruled over the universe."

Elizabeth listened intently as she followed his story among the pictures, depicting what he described in a beautiful mosaic. She was entranced by the colors and images that seemed to spring forth in her mind and along the wall while in the back of her mind the name Erebus pulsated against her skull. They walked slowly down the corridor as Lalo continued.

"Eros brought love into the universe. And who would have guessed that a love would grow between brother and sister? Their union soon bore surprising fruit: Aether and Hemera, The Heavens and Day, and with them balance and order. Then Gaea, goddess of the earth created Uranus to be her husband. The two of them gave brith to the Titans, and the rest is history. The primordial deities, they were called. Every creation myth is based upon their existence."

Lalo stopped his story there, but the pictures went on in a decidedly violent and unfriendly manner.

"I suspect there's more. Hardly a story worth the frown that is plastered to your face." She said pointedly.

Lalo rolled his eyes. "The creation of Uranus would be the very unraveling of the first Gods. Amidst a small power struggle between the primal gods, he demanded rule of the Universe. Reluctantly, Nyx and Erebus granted his wish. Uranus was a cruel ruler. He hated his children, fearful they would threaten his power and so, banished them all to Tartarus, a hellish prison in the underworld, all except for Cronus. Cronus would go on to kill his father and rule among the gods. Fearing his own children would do the same, Cronus ate each and every one of his offspring save for one whom his wife saved and kept hidden on a secret isle."

"Zeus." Elizabeth answered.

Lalo looked at Elizabeth surprised.

"I studied some greek mythology." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Yes, well, by the time Zeus ruled the heavens and the earth, the universe was at odds with itself. Chaos was unhappy with the way the gods commingled with mortals, granting them power whenever they saw fit and without reason. Meanwhile Zeus grew ever fearful and paranoid that the old Gods would take his power away. A war erupted."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. The story taking a familiar shape.

"Zeus and the Olympians against The Primal Entities, it was a battle that could have lasted for an eternity. Until the winds of fate blew, dealing a crushing blow. Zeus discovered how to destroy the old gods and soon after he targeted the most powerful among them."

"Chaos?"

"Nyx. The act threw Erebus and Chaos into a fitful rage, and they sought to destroy everything. Knowing the Olympians' weakness for the mortal realm, Chaos chose a mortal man to spy upon them and carry out their punishment. Zeus was not as stupid as Chaos believed and created his own mortal warrior to send into battle. Only it didn't go quite as planned. The mortal man Chaos sent was no mortal at all but, Erebus in human form and the warrior who thought he was victorious did not kill him, but merely weakened him, sending him to a dormant state for a time. Little of that mattered, however. By the end everything was destroyed, including Chaos. Power was split and hidden all over the earth, and the olympians would slip into the shadows to make way for the time of men."

They reached the last picture and Elizabeth stared at it curiously. The top half showed the symbol that was burned into her wrist rising above flames, light shining in every direction and beneath it was darkness. She reached out with her hand and grazed her fingertips along the stones.

"It is said that before Chaos exhaled his last breath, he vowed his children would return to take vengeance upon the world, upon the Olympians, and upon their pets, and thus the prophecy was born. Though, I'll admit, the version that you were told has been greatly skewed over the centuries."

Elizabeth darted her eyes toward Lalo in knowing disbelief. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She began to shake, her limbs tensing, struggling somewhere in between rage and terror. Her eyebrows knitted together. "So I'm…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the question. "That man…in Norway…the one I…Gregor…he called me that…and Christian..."

"You are who you are, Elizabeth. I had my doubts. I didn't think it was possible, but when you opened the Pyramid, I knew. You have something very powerful asleep inside of you and when we reach Christian in Singapore, you will be awakened. Only one piece of the puzzle remains and then the chest can be opened."

"The chest? But I thought…all this time, we've been giving him more and more power…"

"For you, my dear. For the world."

"A world he would see destroyed. For vengeance."

"Not so. You will see. All will be made clear, I promise. For now, we must get what we came for and leave with all haste. There is one who yet stands in our way." Lalo turned and headed into the chamber that lay ahead of them, disappearing into the darkness.

"Jack." She exhaled and paused for a moment before chasing after Lalo. "You lied to me. He lied to me. It was all a ruse, a trap. What was the point of all the secrecy, the thinly veiled notions of purpose and the greater good if my fate was to be written from the beginning?"

"Would you have come if you knew the truth? If you knew he had set the pieces in motion for Teague, Jack and the rest to ensure your arrival in Peru, would you have stayed?"

"No." She replied honestly barely above a whisper.

"That is why. There is still a purpose at stake. To return the rule of the world to its rightful place. There was peace before and there will be peace again and you are at the center."

"What is it you get out of this? Why help him?" She added finding her voice, edged and hardened.

"Loyalty will always be rewarded." He shrugged and turned to approach the sarcophagus in the center of the chamber.

Elizabeth watched as Lalo stood over the tomb, whispering words in a sort of silent prayer and running his hands along the top. "Are we to be grave robbers as well?" She asked sardonically, but made no move to stop him.

Lalo smiled at her cheekily, pulled out his knife and pried the lid open. A cloud of dust and smoke billowed out and around them as he pushed the lid to the floor.

"Who was he?" Elizabeth asked peering at the mummified remains inside the tomb.

"She. A past life. A failed attempt." He said picking up a jar that had a baboon's head carved out of the top. The crescent moon and stars were carved into the body of the jar. "She's you."

"Me?! That's not possible."

"Possible and true. Not your most recent incarnation, no, but it's been quite awhile since we had a candidate as promising as you."

"Why?" She asked.

"He had not enough power and some candidates turn out not to be candidates at all."

It was disconcerting to Elizabeth how casually Lalo explained everything, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to talk about someone's past life and personified mystical, ethereal beings responsible for creating the earth. She hesitated before speaking again. "What's in the jar?"

"Lungs. The breath of life." He said holding up the jar into the torch light.

Elizabeth stuck out her tongue in a very Jack like manner. "Sorry I asked."

"Anything else?" Lalo raised an eyebrow at her.

Elizabeth looked at the tomb out of the corner of her eye. "When you say failed attempt…actually, never mind. I don't want to know."

Lalo laughed heartily. "Your curiosity has finally reached its end? Now t_hat's_ not possible."

"Ha, bloody ha." She crossed her arms and looked down her nose at him. "Are we done here?"

"Yes."

"Let's go, then. I don't fancy standing next to my deceased past self any longer."

"As you wish." He continued to chuckle as he led them out of the pyramid.

—

Jack reached Cairo after a grueling three days. The horse he stole had to be rested every few hours because of the intense heat. Not to say that he wasn't grateful for the rest as well. His current attire was not suited to the desert at all. He hated land travel. He wandered the city streets and could find no sign of Elizabeth or her "companion".

He pulled out his compass and the needle swung away from Cairo and pointed south east. With a grumble, he approached the nearest vendor and asked him what was south east of Cairo. Suez, the man answered. Another day's ride. Jack thanked him by purchasing a sort of sash and a cloak. He removed his coat and stuffed it into his saddle bag, wrapped the scarf around his face, pulled the hood of the cloak up over his head, mounted his horse and rode on.

—

Elizabeth and Lalo made it to Suez by nightfall. A lone ship bobbed on the ocean in front of them. Elizabeth practically squealed in delight when she felt the spray of the ocean on the wind. Lalo had dismounted and approached what she assumed was the Captain. She watched closely as what started as friendly conversation turned quickly to raised voices and Lalo stormed back toward Elizabeth.

"We're docked for the night." He said removing the bags from the camel and throwing them to the ground with little delicacy.

"What do you mean?" She asked perplexed.

"He won't sail tonight. There's a storm on the horizon and blood on the moon."

"Of all the superstitious nonsense, I'll sail the damn ship." She started to march toward the man when Lalo grabbed her by the arm.

"There's no use arguing. We can board and get settled, but I'm afraid we are anchored until further notice."

Elizabeth grabbed her bags and marched passed Lalo muttering under her breath. "We could just commander the ship, you know?"

"He is of the order. We don't steal from our own." Lalo said, picking up his bags.

"Of course he is." She muttered again.

He laughed as he followed closely behind her.

—

The storm raged on for three days. The wind whipped furiously and the ship rocked so violently in the harbor, Elizabeth was certain the vessel was going to break loose of the anchor. They were confined to the hold as the blowing sands above made seeing and breathing, for that matter, impossible. It was a good thing she didn't pursue the matter of their departure any further, or they would certainly have been ripped to shreds by the towering waves of the Red Sea.

"How long do storms like this usually last?" Elizabeth asked the Captain.

The Captain responded in a tongue Elizabeth didn't recognize. Lalo provided the translation. "He says anywhere from a few days to a few weeks."

"Great." Elizabeth said flatly.

—

Never in all his life, had Jack been so happy to have purchased clothing. The sandstorm surrounding him was nearly unbearable. If it wasn't for the fabric covering his face, he'd be sure to have asphyxiated upon the whirling granules. The horse beneath him was struggling to stay upright and soon collapsed beneath him. It was no matter to him. Jack could smell the salt in the air. He was close to the shore.

Grabbing his bag from the horse, he used it to shield his face as he trudged along against the strong gusts of wind.

—

When he finally reached the water, the wind had died down considerably and the sand merely swirled around him as opposed to violently pelting him the way it had earlier. One ship rocked back and forth upon the tempestuous waters in the harbor, ready to pull the dock out to sea along with it. As far as Jack could tell, not a soul was out on deck. All the better for him. He threw his bag upon the deck and climbed up after it. The deck was empty just as he thought. The crew was more than likely below, riding out the storm. He stowed himself inside of a longboat, covering himself with canvas and drifting off to sleep.

—

The storm passed after another day and they set sail for Singapore. Elizabeth wandered to the bow of the ship and looked out over the water. Lalo walked and stood next to her.

"Are you still up for this?" he asked her, eyeing her meaningfully.

"I'm not sure what 'this' is anymore." Her eyes never left the ocean

"Do you still feel your destiny pulling you from the center out?"

"I feel something, but I'm not sure I would describe it in that way." She smirked.

"It will be beautiful. You'll see." Lalo said before leaving her alone with her thoughts.

—

Jack woke to the steady sway of the ship at sea and peered over the edge of the longboat. The ship was alive with movement and he hoped they would have no need for his humble quarters as they ventured forth. A flash of golden hair caught the corner of his vision as Elizabeth walked passed his hiding spot on her way to the bow of the ship. His breath caught at the sight of her. He hadn't imagined he was lucky enough to have happened upon _her_ ship. Jack continued to watch her as she stared contemplatively out into the horizon. In that moment, she appeared the same to him: the wild governor's daughter turned pirate king who dreamed of adventure on the high seas. So far from the cold assassin he'd bore witness to just a month or so before, and yet there was still something in the way she held her body that betrayed her: fear.


	35. Stowaway

**A/N: Hello all! Sorry, as always, for the length in between updates. I've gotten a bit sidetracked over the last month. Apologies also for the shorter chapter, the next installment will have more. I promise. Anyhoo, thank you to all who are reading, reviewing, following, favoriting, you guys make my day brighter =) Enjoy!**

**Stowaway**

Four weeks of sailing east and Jack had, thus far, gone undetected. A careful observance of the watchmen's rotations and varying crew shifts was all he needed to navigate himself about the ship, scurrying mouselike from dark corner to dark corner. He'd moved from his spot in the long boat to a nice secluded corner of the cargo hold, barricaded by a fortress of empty crates and barrels. He was able to pinch a fair amount of scraps from the galley and, though admittedly unwise, more than his fair share of wine.

He'd only caught sight of Elizabeth once since seeing her on deck when the ship first disembarked. She'd gone down to the hold to practice some form of martial art. If he had to guess by her slow and concentrated movements, it was more than likely Tai Chi or something akin to it. He'd seen plenty of Singaporeans exercising the practice in order to meditate while keeping their bodies alert and physically sound.

He spied upon her, watching her movements, fluid and elegant, like a feline's grace. Her lithe limbs stretched languidly in all directions while sweat glistened off of her exposed skin. Jack presumed, she'd come below because it was too hot on deck, or perhaps she just wanted to be alone so she could strip down to her chest bindings and trousers, but upon closer inspection, it seemed her slow controlled movements were a result of some kind of pain and she was loathe to let anyone see her in a weakened state. At least that hadn't changed about her. He could see the small crease of her brow as she swung her arm to the side and over head. When she turned her back to him he realized the cause of her furrowing. She was recovering from their encounter at the docks. Her back looked like a poorly charted course of scars that intersected in every which way. A small amount of guilt niggled at his belly, but he pushed it away.

Though the injury must not have incapacitated her too much as she continued on with more complex moves and stretched her body in such a way that the bindings were beginning to slip, inciting a certain amount of lust in Jack's loins. Suddenly the hold had grown increasingly humid. Jack did his best to fight the urge to make his presence known and have her over one of the barrels below in that instant. Instead, he resigned to pleasuring himself to her image after she'd gone. He was only human after all.

Though his luck up until this moment had been favorable, there were still a few months left before they reached Singapore. He only hoped he could stay out of sight long enough because, even injured, he wouldn't want to face Elizabeth in any kind of combat.

—

Elizabeth sat upon fo'c's'le in the early morning with each of her many types of blades laid out in a perfect line before her. She always thought of the act of sharpening her weapons as a sort of ritual, a way to pay homage to those that had fallen at her hand while also offering her gratitude toward what she could only consider an extension of herself. She worked at each weapon separately for hours; sharpening, polishing, sharpening, and polishing again. Lalo always liked to tease her, saying she treated her weaponry as she would a child. To which she would respond, "That is why my weapons are so obedient." And he'd laugh his jolly laugh.

While in the midst of her ritual, Lalo approached. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I wanted to see how your wounds were healing."

"They're fine. Skin is a bit tight, but I've been working through it." She said as she rubbed a sand bag across one of her scimitars.

"I would feel better if you'd let me have a look." He pressed.

"I'm hardly in pain, there is no swelling, no puss, only soft pink skin that puffs out more than it used to. You know I don't like to be fussed over." Elizabeth's gaze had been redirected toward a crew member having a heated argument with the first mate in a tongue unfamiliar to her.

"Very well, Ukaidi. I'll leave you to your worship."

"Hold on. Can you understand what they're saying?" She asked him, nodding her head in the direction of the two men. Her curiosity piqued as the crew had been unusually mild mannered up until this point.

Lalo paused, straining to hear the subject of discourse. "The first mate is accusing that crewman of taking more than his fair share of rations. The crewman is swearing that it isn't him, that it is a ghost. The ship has been haunted for weeks. He says the Egyptian Gods have cursed us."

"That's preposterous." Elizabeth scoffed.

"The crewman says he has heard strange sounds coming from the hold and the cook has said on more than one occasion that food and wine, mostly wine, have been disappearing from the galley, but he hasn't seen anyone come to take it. "

"Ghosts aren't likely to steal food and wine. Sounds more like a stowaway." Suddenly Elizabeth's eyes widened, realizing what she had said, and she got quickly to her feet. "Lalo, order the men to check every corner of this ship."

"A stowaway concerns you?" He asked perplexed.

"Enemies concern me." She amended.

—

The crew scoured the ship left and right. No one found anything above deck, except for Elizabeth who had found a familiar coat hidden beneath a bench seat in one of the long boats. The rest of the crew went below and found their prize dead asleep in the hold behind a pile of empty crates. Two men lifted Jack by his arms and brought him to his knees while another adorned their hand with brass knuckles and began pummeling Jack's body into a bloody mess. Elizabeth heard the commotion as she was heading below and raced to the center of the fracas.

Blood was steadily flowing from Jack's face as the crewman continued his assault. Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror, recognizing the captive while simultaneously confirming her suspicions, and waited only a moment before stepping in front of the brute. "That's enough." She said throwing her hands up.

The man responded to her in his native language, presumably yelling something crude as he stepped menacingly toward her. Quickly, Elizabeth pulled her sword on the man. "Step back" She seethed. "You understand _this_, don't you?" She threatened, holding her sword at his neck. "I said step back."

"Elizabeth." Lalo came rushing forward through the crowd of men. "What are you doing?"

"Tell him to stand down." She commanded him as she pushed the other man backwards.

"Elizabeth put your weapon away."

"Tell them to stand down, or I'll cut every single one of them down."

"I'd listen to her, mate. I've seen first hand what she's capable of." Jack groaned.

"Shut it." Elizabeth said over her shoulder.

Lalo sighed and gave a few commands in that unfamiliar tongue that Elizabeth really wished she knew in this moment.

"Grab him and get him to his feet," Elizabeth ordered the two men, and after a nod from Lalo, did as they were bade.

Jack muttered a few curses as they lifted him to his feet, trying to maintain focus. His head was throbbing. It was difficult to maintain his focus as the room seemed to spin around him. He felt as if he might collapse at any moment. Elizabeth approached him slowly and pressed the flat of her blade beneath his chin, lifting his head to face her. She examined his face. Both of his eyes were nearly swollen shut, his nose broken, his left cheek split open, and Elizabeth clucked in disapproval. "You shouldn't be here, Jack." She leaned in and whispered threateningly in his ear. She stood up straight and addressed Jack's captors. "Put him in the brig for the time being until I decide what to do with him." She barked and left the hold in an instant.

"I suppose it's too late to parlay?" Jack asked before the men dragged him backward through the hold by his arms.

—

"Elizabeth." Lalo approached her at the bow, in that same fatherly tone she always hated.

"I know what you're going to say." She said staring out over the railing.

"You are not the captain of this ship, Jack Sparrow is not your prisoner. You should not have stopped them." Lalo scolded her.

"He _is_ my prisoner. I'm the reason he's aboard so he is _my_ responsibility. As for stopping them, I should have let them hit him a few more times, but I'm not one for draconian punishments."

"He needs to be dealt with. He's become too much of a risk." Lalo had turned toward her, his eyes boring into her with utmost seriousness.

She turned toward him, matching his gaze. "I'm not going to kill him, so don't bother suggesting it. I…need to talk to him."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I really don't give a rat's ass what you think. I need to talk to him. Maybe I can get him to understand what's at stake, maybe I can get him to come over to our side." She stared at her feet, pondering just how she could possibly convince him to do anything.

"Christian will not be pleased."

"To hell with Christian." She blurted out.

Lalo stepped back in shock.

"Don't look so wounded, Lalo. I am still a champion for the cause, you know that, but I don't trust _Erebus_." She put a particular emphasis on the name. "My only loyalties are to myself…and, well I guess I do owe you for saving my life…"

Lalo chuckled and heaved a heavy sigh "I hope you know what you're doing." He said leaving her to mull over what she was going to say to Jack.

—-

Elizabeth waited until dusk to pay Jack's holding cell a visit, allowing him a chance to rest while keeping away unwelcome ears from listening in on their conversation. She brought him food, wine and a bucket of water to wash his blood stained face. The brig was dark, it smelled of stale sea water and rotting wood. Jack lay on his back upon a small, unforgiving pile of straw. Elizabeth set her offerings down upon a barrel while she lit a lantern. Within a moment, the brig was illuminated to a rather dull amber glow.

She dipped a mug into the bucket of water and tossed it in his direction, startling him awake.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" He sputtered, gingerly wiping the moisture from his face.

"I should kill you. The crew would like it very much if I did. Can't say it wouldn't bring me the slightest bit of satisfaction." She said sitting atop a crate just a few feet from the bars.

"What's stopping you? It's not as if you're unpracticed at it." Jack sat up, and leaned himself against the bulk head.

"You sent an entire crew of mercenaries after me with no intention of capturing me." She nudged the plate of food towards his cell.

"I wasn't sure what I was up against. They were only supposed to apprehend and incapacitate, but you posed a greater threat than they were expecting. Survivor's instincts kicked in." He leaned forward and reached for the plate. It wasn't much, but she'd brought him a biscuit, some dried fruit and hardtack. He consumed it greedily. "I only wanted to save you."

"You've a peculiar way of going about it. And what was it you were hoping to save me from exactly?"

"Yourself, that pestilent maggot, Christian…" Jack shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't need saving, Jack. I made a choice." She said with a sad sigh.

"Why did you stop your mates?" He asked with a mouthful of biscuit, ignoring her previous statement. He was trying to gauge where her mind was at. Hoping that a small piece of her was still on his side.

"Because, though you probably deserve to, I'd rather you didn't die." She walked toward the cell and handed him the bottle of wine.

Jack exhaled a laugh and shook his head. "You're a bloody stubborn fool, you know that?" He said to her, grabbing the bottle and taking a swig. Relief and the warm liquid filled his veins.

"I did." She paused, gripping the bars between her hands. "How on earth did you find me? I figured you would sail around the Cape."

Jack reached into his pocket and threw the object at her feet. Elizabeth picked up his compass as he continued. "I'm guessing you had good enough reason for leaving it with me after you seduced me, stole that pendant, and murdered one of my oldest friends. Did you not think I would use it to follow you? Did you think I trusted the map you gave me?"

"Jack." She tried to placate him, but he interrupted her.

"Do you have any idea what is you've gotten into?" He wiped his mouth with his hand, his tone hardening.

"Probably more than I could ever want to know."

"Your friend Christian, isn't who you think he is, and his cause isn't as noble as he would have you believe."

"You mean he isn't the primordial god of darkness trying to bring about the end of the world?" She said staring off into the distance with almost no emotion in her voice.

"You know? And you still stand by him?" Jack asked incredulously.

"The story is not his alone. I have a stake in this. I'm allowing the hand to play itself out and will do whatever's necessary when the time comes."

"And that is?"

"I can't say." She averted his gaze.

"Why not?"

Elizabeth moved quickly toward the bars of the cell, startling Jack backwards. "Because I'm not sure when I am alone or when he is here, when my thoughts are his or when they are my own. There are moments when I feel completely in control, but every move I make has me guess twice its authenticity. And as I stated before, I'd rather you didn't die." She whispered harshly through the bars, gripping them white knuckled.

"So what do you expect me to do? Sit here and let him kill you?"

"Kill me? Jack…"

"Tell me you understand that your life is in danger?" He rose to his feet and moved toward her place against the bars, his hands gripped tightly around her own.

"Jack."

"Every step you make toward your cause is a step toward your demise. I'll not watch you die, Elizabeth. So don't ask it of me." He leaned his forehead against hers through the bars.

"I can't release you." She whispered, lips inches from his own.

"I know." He whispered back.

"If you cooperate, I can keep them from killing you, but I'll need you to trust me."

"Trust is difficult to come by these days."

"Trust this." She said meeting his mouth in a desperate kiss. Jack responded immediately, his own desperation matching hers. "My heart is yours. It always has been."

"Then forget all of this and let's get the bloody hell out of here." He scoffed.

"We can't, Jack. I have to finish this." She said resolutely.

Her eyes were pleading, there was something more she wasn't saying, but she asked him to trust her and so he would. "Why?" He finally asked, hoping for any kind of answer to this madness.

"Destiny." She shrugged.

"What do you need me to do?" He asked with resignation. He would do whatever she asked of him. He would do whatever she asked of him for all eternity if need be.

**A/N:** Ukaidi=Swahili for Stubborn


	36. The Sacrifice

**A/N: An update! Hooray! I was going to wait to post this until I had two chapters to give you, but the second chapter is taking a bit longer than expected. Incidentally, this is great for the story, but not for those of you who'll be wanting more after this chapter. Huge thanks to all of my readers, reviewers, followers, etc...you guys make my heart smile. As always reviews are appreciated and encouraged. Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Sacrifice**

From his place in the brig, Jack could hear the bustling above deck. The ship was pulling into Singaporean waters and soon Elizabeth would be taking him to Christian as her prisoner. He was never made privy to the details of her plan. She had only specified that he would be under her charge and he was to do whatever was asked of him. The thought made him only slightly nervous, but he trusted her. He had to. And even if he was still the tiniest bit skeptical, she made a good show of winning his trust back.

In the weeks that passed, Elizabeth often snuck below in the dead of night to bring him extra rations or sometimes just to talk. She had filled the gaps of their years apart, detailing her training, and various adventures. She talked about her growing fear of Christian, and her most recent encounter with her past self. Jack was quite shocked to hear of that. In return, he explained his encounter with Gregor and the real Calypso, and his mission to bring her back to the proper side. She maintained she was on her own side, and he believed her in that regard, but he knew she wouldn't be able to stay there. She would have to choose.

Eventually, their stories had overlapped and they had all the information that had thus far been made available to them. There were several apologies made and many kisses stolen in the dark of the brig. He quite enjoyed the thrill of it all. Her companions among the crew were quite mysterious, moderately fearsome, and largely disapproved of his presence aboard the ship. If given the opportunity, they wouldn't have hesitated to slice his throat, but for reasons beyond his understanding, Elizabeth held a certain amount of power over them. He wasn't complaining by any means, but it caused Jack to remain cautious.

The sound of footsteps started his heart to racing. The sight of Elizabeth descending the steps eased his anxiety only slightly.

"Are you ready?" She asked him.

"Do I have any other choice?"

"Just remember, you wish to join the cause. You want to help, savvy?" She said as she approached the bars.

"Aye." He paused. "Tell me now, is there a chance that I don't survive the day?"

"I can't be certain of that." She said honestly and Jack rolled his eyes in response. "But!" She amended. "Christian needs me, so to a point he has to respect my wishes, doesn't he?" The small shred of naivety that remained in her made Jack simultaneously relieved and scared for his well being.

"You have misplaced faith, love." He mused.

"And a few tricks up my sleeve." She put the key to lock and opened the cell. Elizabeth reached for Jack's hand gently, and without warning was pulled toward him, his lips crashing against hers in an act of raw passion. She pulled away from him, gasping for breath and fingers ghosting on his cheek. "I love you." She said barely above a whisper, eyes still focused on his lips.

"You better." He responded sternly and lifted her chin so their eyes met. He looked at her meaningfully, his own gaze boring deep into hers. He was searching for a lie buried deep beneath her visage, but could find nothing.

Unable to bare another moment of his intense staring, Elizabeth cleared her throat and proceeded to bind Jack's wrist with the rope she'd brought down to the hold. Once she had finished, she lead him above deck.

—

"Lalo! Dear friend, am I ever glad to see you." Christian said from the docks. "The time is nearly upon us. All is set in motion, I hope?" Lalo gave a pained smirk that did not go unnoticed by Christian. "What is it? Did everything not go as planned?"

"There were complications." Lalo said lowly.

"Complications? Was she able to retrieve the map?" Christian asked trying to keep the urgency in his voice to a minimum.

Lalo nodded. "…and the jar. She was able to open the tomb just as you said."

"Then what is it? Did she fall behind?" Christian seemed nervous.

"You have not seen?" Lalo asked, head cocked to the side.

"She knows too well now when I am present. It does no good for gaining her trust." He brushed off Lalo's question as if it was of little consequence.

"Neither will our complication." Lalo muttered, with determined focus on the ground beneath his feet.

"Lalo, your evasiveness is causing me a fair amount of panic. We are so very close. Now, tell me what has happened." Christian demanded, in no mood for any more games.

After a lengthy pause and a deep breath, Lalo finally answered. "There was a stowaway."

"Why should a stowaway be any concern of mine?" Christian scoffed.

"Jack Sparrow boarded our ship while we were docked during a storm in Suez. He went undiscovered for quite awhile. She has since taken him as her prisoner." Lalo was unsure how much information to give Christian about Jack's sudden appearance.

"Why was he not killed immediately?" Christian battled back.

"She would not permit it."

"After all this time he remains a weakness." He said more to himself than to Lalo.

"She claims he will do whatever is asked of him for the sake of our cause."

"Is that right?" Christian's mouth upturned in a devilish smile. "Perhaps the pirate can be useful after all." Christian laughed gutturally.

—-

Elizabeth walked down the gangplank with Jack in tow, tugging him hard along the way every once in a while to keep up appearances. Her heart beat furiously in her chest as she spotted Lalo with Christian. She hoped he kept to his word and didn't reveal too much. So much of her plan relied on Christian's ignorance of recent events. Mostly because she didn't have a plan. Months passed for her to come up with some semblance of a plan that went beyond her _becoming_ whatever it was Christian had intended, and, still, she came up empty handed (or empty headed in this case). How often she chided herself for foolishness

Jack watched as Elizabeth noticeably tensed when they reached the dock. She was nervous which didn't bode well for either of them. Though, Christian didn't seem to be particularly intimidating. A rakish figure, certainly of a type befitting a governor's daughter's liking, but he didn't have the appearance of the serpent Elizabeth had painted him. Perhaps she was exaggerating for his own sake.

"Doesn't look so scary." He whispered ahead to her.

"Please, keep your mouth shut." She whispered back.

Christian practically beamed at the sight of her. He drew her into his arms in an awkward embrace, lingering to inhale the scent of her hair while giving Jack a predatory glare. Pulling back he ran the back of his hand across her cheek. "I'm so pleased you have returned to us in one piece."

"Mostly. Retrieving the map was no easy feat." She relaxed slightly, hoping Christian really had no idea of the happenings in Dubrovnik.

"You have it then?" He asked eagerly.

"I do." She reached into her coat and handed the parchment to him.

"Wonderful. And I see you have stumbled upon something else. The Pirate, isn't it?" He said looking back at Jack.

Jack was ready to open his mouth when Elizabeth gave a tug on the rope and interrupted him. "Yes, he'd been following me since I left Croatia. Found him aboard the ship. Says he wishes to help."

Christian lowered his voice bringing his mouth inches away from her ear. "Elizabeth we've talked about this. He has no place among us. You remember the consequences he will face?"

"I've explained all of this to him and, still, he refuses to leave my side. I say we make use of him. The brethren are after the chest, the Imperial Navy are after the chest. He has knowledge of their dealings and can be an informant, a spy." She turned to him, her face inches from his. Jack started to squirm behind her, their closeness making him exceedingly uncomfortable.

"After today we will need neither, but you're right about making use of him. He can start by leading us here." Christian said as he pulled away from her, unfurling the map and handing it to her before heading up the gang plank of the ship.

—

"You two are awfully chummy." Jack spoke sharply as Elizabeth removed his restraints. Christian was on the ship barking orders to the men, allowing her to speak the slightest bit more freely with Jack.

"Please try to refrain from being jealous. I have to play his game to keep him from killing you. And for now it seems that I have his complete trust."

"I can't control a basic reflex. Every moment he is near you, my fist wants to be nearer to his face."

"Jack, please."

"Fine." He pouted.

"Follow the map to the best of your abilities and be careful. He may not be purposefully trying to kill you, but he is certain to use you as a pawn should there be any perilous traps along the way." She spoke directly and left as much emotion out of her voice as possible.

"Delightfully sweet of him, if you ask me." He joked.

"I didn't." Elizabeth's demeanor was ice cold.

"You didn't what?"

"I didn't ask." She said flustered.

Jack made an attempt to grab her hand, but she pulled back quickly. He sighed. "I'd feel a little better if I knew what was ahead."

"You're not the only one." She mumbled as she turned from him.

A sudden realization came over Jack and he grabbed her arm turning her forcefully back toward him. "You don't have a plan, do you?" Elizabeth looked everywhere but at Jack. "Elizabeth?" he urged.

"I…" She stammered.

"Is everything all right over here?" Christian interrupted, coming up behind Jack.

Elizabeth sighed a breath of relief as Jack released her arm. "Yes. He's ready." She stated resolutely as Jack glared daggers at her, and walked ahead of the two men, catching up with Lalo. She attempted to regulate her breathing as she walked beside him.

"Still don't have any idea what you're doing?" Lalo mocked her.

"None whatsoever. Keep walking. I'll think of something eventually."

"Eventually better come quickly, you're running out of time and so is your pirate."

"Does Christian know?" She asked him quietly, her focus on the road ahead never faltering.

Lalo turned to her in confusion. "How can he know what you yourself do not?"

Elizabeth turned back to see Jack combing over the map, Christian eyeing him from behind as they moved to catch up to her and Lalo.

"I mean does he know of my affections?" She whispered.

"I'm afraid, dear girl, your affections are painfully obvious to even the most oblivious of souls." He chuckled.

"I've condemned Jack…again." She murmured. Three men joined them in their trek, carrying excavating tools and a couple of lanterns. Elizabeth couldn't help but notice one of the men carrying a larger knapsack. _The Chest, _she pondered_._ She stared for a long moment as ideas started to whirl around her head, but turned back around quickly, hoping not to draw any more attention to herself.

—

Elizabeth walked several paces behind the group as Jack led them effortlessly toward a series of buildings along the back side of the island near the Johor Strait. She was intent on coming up with a way to keep Jack out of harm's way. Though, everything she'd come up with thus far was flimsy at best, and the way Christian sized up Jack as if he were his next meal did nothing to calm her nerves.

Eventually Christian fell back in step with Elizabeth. "Lalo tells me you ran into a bit of trouble back in Dubrovnik." The feigned concern in his voice made Elizabeth chuckle. _His lack of humanity is astounding. _

"Did he?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

"I warned you about involving yourself in affairs that didn't concern you." He said with condescension.

"And I cleaned up my mess as instructed. I was merely unprepared for how big of a mess I had actually made. We have made many enemies, you know?" She was concise in her answer, lest she give herself away.

"Indeed, some right under our very noses." He said giving a meaningful look toward Jack.

"You don't trust him?" It was more of a statement than a question. _Did he know it was Jack who attacked her? _

"I don't trust you around him."

_Apparently not._

"I'm not the same person I was in Norway." She said defensively, almost offended, as if she _wasn't_ risking everything to keep Jack alive.

Christian could see right through her thinly veiled attempts to appear nonplussed around the pirate. "And yet, he remains a distraction."

"I've never been more focused in all my life." She said confidently, nearly having herself convinced.

"I hope that's true." He smirked.

They stopped in front of a circular archway in front of a wooden door. There was no discernible handle or knocker and upon it was painted a most peculiar picture. A three headed cobra was guarding what looked to Elizabeth like a trident of sorts. The illustration was captivating, almost hypnotic.

"We need to enter here, but I can't figure a way in. The door won't budge." Jack said running his shoulder into the door a few times with no effect.

Elizabeth drew forward and pushed her way through the three men, approaching the door. A voice resounded in her head. It sounded suspiciously as her own. A different energy from when Christian violated her thoughts, this voice seemed to belong. It sounded again, shaking her from her silent reverie.

Elizabeth leaned forward toward the door and whispered something none of the men could hear. The wooden blockade made a thud and rolled out of the way, revealing a long tunnel leading them beneath the earth.

If Jack hadn't seen it happen, he wouldn't have believed it…not in a million years. He stood, mouth agape while Christian beamed giddily beside him, ecstatic that his plan was nearly at fruition. Lalo was unmoved, he'd seen it before when he and Elizabeth had entered the pyramid.

Elizabeth made to move ahead of the group, but was stopped by an arm across her chest.

"Tut, tut, dear. Allow Mr. Sparrow to lead the way." Christian said, removing his arm and gesturing with a bow for Jack to go ahead.

Jack grumbled words that Elizabeth was sure were less than complimentary as he passed by them and more than likely started with 'It's Captain Sparrow'. Elizabeth couldn't help but snicker at his frustrations.

Pulling a steel striker from inside his coat, Jack lit the torch that hung on the wall of the entry way. The tunnel ahead looked as if it went on for an eternity. Jack took a noticeably deep breath before he forcefully grabbed the torch from the wall and trudged onward. Christian signaled for the three other men to follow behind Jack while he, Lalo, and Elizabeth brought up the rear.

—

Indeed the tunnel went on for an eternity, straight ahead for hours without any deviations. The temperature was growing hotter and hotter the further they went and Elizabeth was beginning to wonder if they were descending straight into hell. Much to Christian's chagrin, she moved her way to the front of the pack to speak with Jack.

"Are we lost?" She whispered to him.

"Are you questioning my map reading abilities?" He gave her a sideways glance.

"Of course not, but…"

"But what?" Jack asked keeping his eyes trained forward.

"Don't you find it the least bit disconcerting that we haven't made a single turn?"

"No." He answered.

"Aren't you at least curious?" She peered at his face, finding herself longing to kiss the silly smirk off of his face.

"Lizzie, it says right here, 'Stray not from the path. Eyes will deceive you. It ends where it ends, there the destination lies'." He pointed to the worded portion of the map.

"'It ends where it ends?' That's maddeningly unhelpful. Do you think it means to be a riddle?"

"Not likely. The map has been rather straight forward up to this point. Literally."

She gave him a pointed glare.

"Why are you so anxious?" He asked her.

"My list of reasons are longer than this tunnel, and I fear we my suffocate before we ever reach the end."

Jack could only chuckle at her expense. Her lack of control over this whole situation, albeit terrifying, amused him greatly. Narrowing her eyes at his candor, she paused before speaking again, paying particular attention to her fingernails. "Listen, I need you to…" She trailed off, a strange expression forming upon her face. A familiar energy was haunting her mind.

"Elizabeth, what is it?" He asked concerned.

"Nothing." She said looking back toward Christian. "Keep moving forward. Everything is fine."

She disappeared from his side and moving to the back of the group once again, sidled up next to Christian. "I remember a time when there was trust between us." She murmured to him.

"Trust is difficult to come by these days." He said starkly and moved ahead of her to whisper a few things to one of the other men.

Elizabeth stopped, expressionless in the darkening tunnel, wondering if it was merely coincidence he chose those specific words. If not, Jack was in serious danger.

As Jack watched Elizabeth approach Christian, Lalo took her place beside Jack. Walking in stride with him, he took advantage of Christian's distracted state to speak to the pirate. Slightly startled, Jack eyed Lalo wearily and kept his focus forward. Lalo gave a small laugh and clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder, causing Jack to shudder uncomfortably.

"You don't need to fear me, Captain Sparrow. I am a friend."

"A very large, imposing friend." Jack said beguiled that someone who appeared to be so threatening had all the jubilance of St. Nicholas.

"She needs your help." Lalo said plainly.

"Why do you think I'm here?"

"There will come a moment when you have the opportunity to take something. When you do…take it and run like hell." Lalo said in a low grumble.

"Why are you telling me this?" Jack asked, skeptical of the man's good will.

"Because I believe loyalty will be rewarded and in the very near future, Elizabeth Swann is going to rule over Heaven and Earth, but only if we help her."

"Run like hell, indeed…" Jack muttered.

—

Finally, they reached an end, arriving at a door leading to another chamber. Jack pored over the map, looking for instructions on how to open it and came up empty. Elizabeth moved toward the door and tried running her hands over it, whispering the same phrase from earlier but to no avail.

"There are carvings, just here." Jack spoke having uncovered some sand filled engravings.

"What does it say?" Elizabeth asked eagerly.

Christian moved through the group to the carvings, running his hand along them. "A blood sacrifice must be given in order to open it." He answered, leering in Jack's direction as he pulled a knife from his belt.

"No!" Elizabeth blurted out, moving to shield Jack from Christian's advance.

"Only a nick, my dear." He said with a lecherous smile, reaching behind her. Forcefully, he grabbed Jack's palm and carved deeply into his skin. He then placed Jack's hand onto the surface of the door and smiled triumphantly as it began to open before them. Christian ushered them through, gripping Elizabeth's arm in the waning moments as she passed him. "Tread carefully, Swann."

Elizabeth stared at the hand upon her arm and ripped it from his grasp, eyeing him as she passed. "Heed your own advice." She spat. The venom rose without warning, and in hindsight it was probably unwise, but she felt damn good having said it.

Upon entering the chamber, Jack and Lalo made quick work of lighting the other torches, revealing a circular room with two stone slabs in the center

In between the two slabs stood a large basin filled with some kind of flammable oil. Lalo dropped the torch to it, and the room lit up like a brilliant star, the flame soaring near head height. There were no discernible features to the chamber. No marble structures, no mosaics or placards upon the walls, and the floor was merely loose dirt and gravel. The only intricate item in the room was the basin. It had beautiful images carved into and painted upon it: the symbol branded into Elizabeth's arm, the image of the three headed cobra from the door outside, and reliefs of a woman rising above the earth flying toward the heavens, among others.

This was where it would happen, Elizabeth thought to herself. This is where Elizabeth Swann and the Goddess Nyx would become one being. All at once ice filled her veins as she imagined a million scenarios where everything went to hell. That voice, _her voice_, tried to soothe her, but Elizabeth had gone white knuckled.

Christian walked toward the center of the room, reaching out for the knapsack that Lalo currently held. He pulled the items out one at a time, examining them carefully: the jar from the pyramid, an urn from a Grecian temple, a Kartika from the temple in India, and finally the pendant she had stolen in Norway, the pendant that opened the chest. Elizabeth's gaze was drawn to Lalo who appeared to be changing into a ceremonial garb of some kind.

"Are you ready, dear friend?" Christian asked of him.

"Yes. Let it be done." Lalo said resignedly and approached the altar near the torch where Christian had placed the items.

Christian turned to her. "Elizabeth, it is time for you to become what you were meant to be." Christian gestured for her to lay upon the stone slab to the right of the basin. She moved toward the slab when Jack appeared from out of the shadows, grabbing her by the arm. _She really wished everyone would stop doing that to her._

"Are you sure about this?" He whispered. "I don't trust _him_."

"Trust _me_." She answered in a hushed tone of her own.

"Mr. Sparrow, if you'd please unhand the lady and step aside." Christian demanded.

Jack looked from Christian to Elizabeth, his hand tightening around her forearm.

"Jack, please. Everything's going to be all right." Elizabeth gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She wanted to assure him that she would able to handle whatever happened next, but even she wasn't sure. Jack released her and retreated to stand against the chamber wall.

She began to lay down and was alerted to Lalo's presence beside her, as Christian ushered him to lay upon the slab opposite her. "What is Lalo's part in this?" She asked of Christian.

"A life for a life." He answered, sharpening the blade of the Kartika.

"What?! No!" She stood up immediately, walking to where Lalo lay before her. "I'll not let you die for me."

Lalo stood, grasping both of her hands in his. "Elizabeth, this was always my destiny. Everything I have done has led me to this moment. It is my gift to the gods, my sacrifice, my loyalty." He added pointedly, giving her hands a squeeze. "I do not fear what comes next and neither should you." He released her hands and attempted to push her back toward the other slab.

She reluctantly moved from her spot, but quickly turned back and threw her arms around Lalo. "Thank you. You have been my most treasured friend." She whispered into his chest.

Letting him go and wiping the tears from her eyes, she lay down upon the stone. Christian picked up each item one by one and spoke some sort of incantation before dropping them into the fire. Elizabeth shut her eyes tightly when Christian bent over Lalo with the Kartika. She waited for a grunt, a scream, some indication that it was over and done with, but she heard nothing. Suddenly, footsteps sounded closer and closer in her ear. She kept her eyes shut, unwilling to witness what she suspected, what she feared. She could hear Jack's raised voice struggling in the distance. The other men must have restrained him for she heard him grunt and writhe and scream obscenities at the man she knew stood above her. Just as she was about to give voice, a quick, sharp pain flew across her throat. Her eyes shot open. Blood dripped from the blade in Christian's hand, his mouth upturned diabolically as he loomed over her. Jack broke free from his captors and ran to her side, holding her hand in his, whispering frantically words she couldn't make out. Christian had moved to the basin, dropping her blood into the flames. She opened her mouth in an attempt to speak, to calm Jack, to berate Christian, but there was no sound. The noise around her had grown muffled and shortly thereafter, everything had gone black.

* * *

A/N: Kartika - a ceremonial Buddhist ritual tool shaped like a crescent knife or chopper, topped with a vajra that acts as a handle to the blade. It symbolizes the severance of all material and worldly bonds, while the vajra represents the destruction of ignorance, thus clearing the path to enlightenment. While the kartika is used in several Buddhist ceremonies, usually in combination with the kapala (skullcap), it is particularly important in a Tibetan ritual involving a form of self-sacrifice, whereby the practitioner visualizes their own body as the offering at a form of tantric feast. (Source: KashgarDOTCOM)


	37. Awakening

**A/N: Well folks, we are getting closer and closer to the end of this thing! I never thought I'd see the day, but at last there is light at the end of this tunnel =) Thank you again to all of my readers, reviewers, followers and favorites old and new. You guys keep this thing going. **

**I tried not to make you guys wait too long for the next chapter after that last cliffhanger, so I now present...**

**Awakening**

All was blackness. Silence. The screams had faded into the distance so long ago, at least she thought it was long ago. Elizabeth had no perception of how long she'd been enduring the void in which she currently sat. No light, no sound, barely a recollection of the life that existed on the other side of this nothingness. She wondered if death was like this for everyone. Suddenly, an image began to form in front of her: a full moon, the night sky, a beach draped in twilight, and a figure stooped upon a rock just feet in front of her, staring off into the distance. Elizabeth rubbed her eyes as they adjusted from the intense abyss into the scene ahead.

Elizabeth quietly picked herself up from the sand and moved toward the figure, her movements unnoticed by the other. It wasn't until she was standing directly next to the mysterious stranger that she could begin to make out any discernible features. A woman; lithe body; blonde hair that reached her back; a dress of made of thin fabric, flowing gently in the breeze that now surrounded them.

"I've been waiting for you for some time." The woman spoke, still facing the horizon.

Elizabeth blinked several times in confusion._ Waiting? _This wasn't death, this was something else entirely. "You're Nyx?" Elizabeth realized.

"I am." Nyx answered.

Elizabeth began to put two and two together. "You're the voice."

"I am." Nyx repeated and finally turned to face Elizabeth.

Elizabeth jerked back slightly. "You're _me_." Even after everything Elizabeth had witnessed in her lifetime, staring into a face identical to her own was not on her list of things to expect from this journey. Especially when that face belonged to an ancient goddess.

"I am." Nix answered, emotionless.

"I don't understand. Why do you look like me?"

"I have no physical form. My essence is ethereal. I appear as you because we are one."

"Alright." Elizabeth answered uncertainly, staring off into the distance. "So how does this work exactly?" She asked, turning her attention back to Nyx.

"How does what work?" There was an innocence to Nyx that seemed puzzling to Elizabeth.

"What I mean is-what happens next?" Elizabeth specified.

"You wake up."

For being _one,_ Nyx had no understanding of what Elizabeth was trying to ask and it was beginning to exasperate the latter.

"But who will I be when I do?" Elizabeth specified further.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

Frustration began to bubble inside of Elizabeth as she asked, "Will I be Elizabeth Swann or Nyx?"

"You will be both. As I said before, we are one."

Elizabeth's face was blank and she wondered if Nyx was taking pleasure in being purposefully vague. "Could you be a touch more specific?" Elizabeth muttered.

"How so?"

"Am I to wander the earth for the rest of my days with two voices rattling about in my head?" Elizabeth blurted out.

Nyx laughed unexpectedly. "I've forgotten how delightfully simple humans are. No, you will still be Elizabeth Swann, but you will have all the knowledge I possess, all of my memories. You will know the very secrets of the Universe. I know it sounds…"

"Incomprehensible?" Elizabeth interrupted.

Nyx smiled at her. "It will become less so. It is time now." Nyx stood up from the rock, moving toward Elizabeth. "Open your eyes, Elizabeth. They are waiting."

At the very moment it appeared Nyx was going to collide with Elizabeth, her eyes snapped open and a giant gasp of breath escaped her as she found herself back in the chamber. A sudden wave of emotion came over her and she bit her lip to keep from sobbing. In that instant between the blackness and her awakening a million images and moments ripped through her. Centuries worth of memories, experienced all at once. It was simultaneously beautiful and unbearably sad to be at the helm of creation and also a casualty of its demise. It was up to her now. She would not let Erebus destroy this world. Elizabeth sat up, not bothering to wipe the tears from her cheeks, and looked about her.

The chamber was dim, the fire in the stone basin had long burned out and all that remained were the torches upon the wall. She looked to her left and found Lalo still lifeless, covered with a sort of burial shroud. To her right, Jack sat on the floor next to the slab, fast asleep as he leaned up against the stone structure. His brow was creased and a scowl was plastered to his face. His sleep was anything but restful. Elizabeth then remembered her last moments and her hand flew quickly to her throat. The gash had been stitched and bandaged._ Poor Jack_, she mused. _He must have thought he watched me die. _

Looking around further she discovered they were _all_ asleep. _Had she been dead that long? Had she been dead at all? _

Getting to her feet, Elizabeth walked to Lalo's body. His burial shroud was covered in many symbols, guaranteeing him a safe journey into the afterlife. "Sorry, Lalo, but it is not your time yet." She whispered as she placed her palm an inch or so above his heart.

He woke with a gasp, sitting up violently. The slit in his throat had, too, been stitched and bandaged.

"You were right. Loyalty will be rewarded." She said to him and smiled. "We still have work to do, my friend."

"I am glad of it." He responded, still getting acclimated to his own breathing.

Elizabeth went to the altar and grabbed the pendant, placing it around her neck. All she needed was the chest and they could leave without anyone noticing. Looking about the chamber, she saw the chest beneath a slumped over Christian and gave a sigh. She would have to come back to that problem in a minute.

She walked over to the sleeping Jack and crouched down before him. She whispered his name once, her hand on his cheek. He mumbled a few words, but remained asleep. She bent closer to him, whispering directly in to his ear. "Jack, I need you to wake up now."

His eyes opened slowly and immediately grew wider at the sight of her. She put a finger to her lips to temper his undoubted confusion at such a revelation as her sudden resurrection.

"It's not possible." He whispered to her.

"Not probable." She smiled and kissed him feverishly.

He pulled back, confusion still painting his features. "I watched you bleed out. I stitched your wound closed. You were dead."

"You did this?" She asked, touching the bandaging. "Expertly done."

"Elizabeth." He grabbed her hands to gain her focus. "How are you alive?"

"Do you really want me to explain it to you or can you just be happy that it's true?"

"Lizzie, love, I'm ecstatic, but I…" He trailed off. She was smiling at him with such joviality that he lost himself in her expression. "No, you don't have to explain it."

"Good because there really isn't time. We have to go." She stood and helped him to his feet.

Jack noticed a not dead Lalo changing out of his ceremonial garments and stopped dead in his tracks. "Is he some kind of God too?" He whispered to Elizabeth.

"No. He's merely lucky that he chose the proper side." She said as she grabbed one of the knapsacks and collected a few supplies, stuffing them in as quietly as she could.

"What is the plan?" Lalo asked coming over to the two of them.

"We need to grab the chest and to get as far away from him as possible." Elizabeth answered.

"Where is the chest?" Jack asked, hopeful they wouldn't have to go galavanting into another sacred temple.

"Over there." She pointed behind her to the sleeping form of Christian.

"You're joking, right?" Jack asked.

"Afraid not. And we mustn't wake him." Elizabeth said seriously.

"Can't you wave your hand and fly it over to us?" It seemed a reasonable task to him.

"I'm not a sorcerer, Jack. That's not how this works."

"Mother of creation reincarnated, brought a man back to life, and you can't make a bloody chest fly? Some goddess you are." Jack teased.

She glared at him through half lidded eyes. "Come on."

"Wait, Elizabeth." Jack stopped her. "Why do you even need the chest? He can't open it without you."

"I cannot defeat him without it, and he won't stop until he has everything he thinks was taken from him, destroying everything in his path in the process."

"But if you open the chest he'll stop at nothing until he takes all of your power for himself."

"He'll try. To him, I am only a feeble goddess, someone to be manipulated, a mere obstacle in his path to world domination. But there's one thing Erebus didn't factor about me."

"What's that?"

"I'm a bloody pirate." She said with smoldering eyes.

Jack practically salivated at the look she gave him; predatory, animalistic. "I've never wanted you more than I do right now." He whispered.

Lalo looked away uncomfortably.

"There's time enough for that later. First, the chest."

As they turned to walk toward Christian, one of the other men had begun to stir. Elizabeth put her hand up to stop her two companions from moving. _Please don't wake up. Please don't wake up. _Unfortunately for them, her silent prayer went unanswered and upon waking fully, the man alerted the rest of the chamber to Elizabeth's own awakening. "So much for getting out of here unnoticed." Elizabeth threw her hands up in disappointed frustration.

Christian woke and rose quickly, entirely unsurprised to see Elizabeth amongst the living once again. He practically galloped toward her. "After all these years, It's finally you." He whispered disbelievingly.

"Erebus, it has been too long." She remained in her spot, unmoving, unsure how she wanted to interact with him.

Christian - _Erebus _\- embraced her, placing a soft kiss upon her cheek. "I have missed you, my sweet."

It took everything in Elizabeth's power to not be repulsed by his touch. If she was going to make it out of there with Jack, Lalo, and the chest, she would need to out wit him and she would need to wait for the opportune moment to make her move.

"Come, sister, let us take back what is rightfully ours." Erebus signaled for one of the men to bring him the chest.

Erebus was wasting no time. He intended to have it done with once and for all and as soon as possible. The long con would do her no good, so Elizabeth decided to change her tactics.

She laughed heartily earning her an odd expression from Erebus as well as from Jack and Lalo. "You and Father and your misguided notions of possession." She scolded.

"Misguided?" Christin asked taken aback.

"Lizzie, what are you doing?" Jack muttered behind her unsure that angering the man was the best course of action.

"The universe was not created merely for us. It was created to grow, to evolve, to take on a life of its own. Our time has passed. It is the time of men now."

"It doesn't belong to them." Erebus seethed.

"It doesn't belong to us, and it hasn't for some time. We had our chance and made a rather poor showing of it, if you ask me." She said nonplussed.

"How can you say that? It was Zeus and his love of humans that killed you, practically destroying the universe to win a war he started."

"It was your cowardice and Father's obstinance that led to that war. I'll not be a part of another." Elizabeth fought back.

"You ungrateful…do you have any idea what I've been through to bring you back, everything that I have done, what I have risked?" His blood was boiling.

"Oh, I know all about it. For centuries I was at peace. You and Father imagined me dead, but in reality, I was set free. The gods had retreated back to the heavens and men could roam freely without interference. Then you started your incessant meddling. I could feel your unrest, your burning desire for revenge. I knew what you were planning and I know what you still intend to do. While you schemed, I searched and I waited until I found the perfect candidate, someone strong enough to resist you. You trained her well, Erebus, but she was never meant for you. Did you think me so naive? Did you think her so naive? You honestly believed you could make a sacrifice of us in order to slake your lust for vengeance? This is why you lost the war. So, if you don't mind, I'll be taking the chest back." She directed the last statement toward the man holding the chest, gesturing him forth.

The man began to move to her, but was stopped in his tracks. He physically struggled to keep walking, but was glued to the spot. Elizabeth looked back toward Erebus. He was smirking at her.

"Very well." She said irritatedly and moved toward the man in order to snatch it up herself. Her path was blocked by yet another, and she was surprised to find that it was Jack who had stopped her.

"Jack, what are you doing?" She whispered harshly.

Jack blinked furiously, trying to get rid of the fog that filled his mind. He struggled with his thoughts and couldn't find the words to answer her.

"Step aside." She demanded of him.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." He said flatly, unsheathing his sword, his eyes glassed over.

Elizabeth turned back to Erebus, knowingly. "This is how it is to be then?" She asked sharply and dropped the knapsack, unsheathing her own weapon. "Fine."

—

Elizabeth came at him at full speed. Her strikes were quick, but Jack was able to hold his own in spite of his confusion. "_Why the hell am I fighting her and why can I not stop?" _Jack thought as two voices fought for supremacy in his consciousness. It was the locker all over again and it was maddening.

_"You must stop her. She wants to destroy it all. She wants to kill you." Said the voice in his head_

_"No, she doesn't." Jack battled back._

_"Don't be foolish. You saw her eyes on the docks of Dubrovnik. You know what evils lie inside of her."_

Metal clanged against metal. She was only trying to disarm him, he realized, but the voice urged him to take her down. To grab the pendant.

_"You believe she might spare you. You're wrong. She is only using you. She does not love you."_

_"You know nothing of it."_

_"Oh, but I do. You see, Jack. A woman as wild as Elizabeth loves only herself. Her tastes and desires could never be filled by one man alone. Especially not a filthy pirate such as yourself."_

_"Liar!"_

Jack fought back furiously. His sword a veritable onslaught of rage whirling toward Elizabeth. She was caught off guard by his attack as he pushed her toward the wall of the chamber. He managed to disarm her and shoved her up against the wall. His hand reached up to grab her throat. He held his hand there softly, staring into her eyes, sweat beading down his face. His breathing was labored and his eyes had turned black as coal.

"Jack, he's in your head. Don't listen to him." She whispered. Her body had gone slack, not bothering to struggle against him.

_"Go ahead. Finish her."_

_"I can't."_

"Jack, please. I won't fight you." She pleaded.

_"Quite the player, she is. You almost believe she's telling the truth."_

"Fight it. Come back to me, Jack. Please. I love you." She begged on the verge of tears.

_"She whispered such sentiments to me when I had her. Oh, yes, I had her, and she was every bit as feral as I imagined her to be."_

As a multitude of images depicting Elizabeth and Christian together drew across his mind, Jack began to squeeze his hand around her throat, harder and harder. Elizabeth could feel her windpipe collapsing beneath his terrifying grip, the stitches of her wound popping loose with every second.

"I'm not going to kill him." She managed to squeak to Erebus out between what little breath she had left. "Jack, look at me. You don't want to do this. He's lying." Jack was unmoving, his grip tightening, his eyes aflame.

Darkness began to cloud Elizabeth's vision. She would die by his hand, before she would kill him.

Realizing Jack had lost all control, Lalo ran at him, tackling him to the ground before Elizabeth lost all consciousness.

Elizabeth gasped for breath, clutching at her throat, blood dripping down her neck. Jack struggled to break free as Lalo restrained him on the ground.

Regaining her senses, Elizabeth knelt before Jack, running her hand along his face. Jack recoiled from her touch at first, her fingers like fire upon his skin. "Resist him, Jack. He is weak. He is scared. Remember that I love you. Remember what it feels like. Hold on to it." His breathing slowed and he stopped struggling.

Erebus struggled to maintain his hold on Jack as she spoke to him, and so ordered his men to attack the trio on the floor, hopefully providing the distraction he needed to keep Jack's mind under his thumb.

Seeing the men coming toward them, Lalo grabbed a discarded sword from the ground and attempted to hold them off long enough for Elizabeth to do whatever it was she needed to do.

Elizabeth held her hand over Jack's heart and gently she pressed her lips to his. Slowly his eyes turned from the coal black back to the soft dark brown with which she was familiar. "Are you with me?" She asked him.

"I don't…Lizzie, I'm sorry…" He was cut off by Lalo.

"You two need to get out of here." Lalo urged them as he parried blow after blow. He'd managed to incapacitate one, but the two that remained were skilled fighters.

"I'm not leaving without the chest and I'm not leaving without you." Elizabeth bit back, helping Jack to his feet. "Can you stand?" He nodded. "Can you fight?" He nodded again. "Then, what are you waiting for?" She said finally, handing him his sword. "Help Lalo, I'll get the chest."

Elizabeth spotted Erebus, chest in hand, blocking the way out.

"A desperate move, thinking I valued my life over his." She spat at him.

"I took a gamble." He smirked, as if he still held some kind of secret behind his eyes.

"Hand over the chest, brother." She demanded sharply.

"Oh, I don't think so." He said, pointing a pistol at her chest.

"You can't open the chest without me." Elizabeth barked at him. "And as long as the chest is closed, you can't kill me."

"You're right, but I _can_ kill him." He said pointing a pistol passed her ear toward Jack.

Elizabeth wasted no time and charged at him, knocking him to the ground. Erebus' head smacked the ground hard as the chest flew behind him. The shot from the pistol had ricocheted above, burying itself into the ceiling of the chamber. A large crack began to form, quickly spreading itself from the front to the back of the chamber.

"Time to go." Elizabeth yelled as the pieces of the chamber began to fall down around them.

Elizabeth ran forward and grabbed the chest. "Hurry up! This place is going to cave in." She called to them.

The two men ran as fast as they could, dodging falling bits of rock and sand. Once she felt they were clear, Elizabeth sprinted up the tunnel toward the light that would lead them back into the world.

She took several deep breaths once she made it outside. Blood still dripped from the gash in her throat. Jack and Lalo came out behind her and the two men worked together to roll the door closed.

"Where's Erebus?" She asked them.

"Still in the chamber, unconscious." Jack answered, a bit shaken.

"He won't be for long. We need to get back to the ship." Elizabeth ordered.

"The crew won't leave without him." Lalo informed her. "And he'll alert them as soon as he wakes."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Elizabeth asked.

Lalo shrugged.

"Still head toward the harbor. We can only hope to commandeer another ship." Jack suggested breathily.

"He's right. Let's go." Elizabeth ushered Lalo ahead of them as she grabbed Jack's hand in hers. "Are you all right?" She asked concerned.

"Yes. Fine. Just a bit woozy is all." Truth be told, Jack couldn't get the image of Elizabeth and Erebus out of his head, and was having a hard time distinguishing what was reality and what wasn't. "Are you?" He asked, spotting the blood stained bandage, remembering what he had done.

"Don't worry about that." She smiled at him as they hurried along, giving his hand a squeeze.

—

On their way back to the docks, it wasn't long before they were flanked by twenty of Christian's mercenaries, weapons in hand, ready to fight them to the death.

"I think it is safe to assume Erebus is no longer unconscious." Lalo suggested as he unsheathed his sword.

"What gave you that idea?" Elizabeth said sardonically, scanning the men in front of them, trying to devise how best to attack them.

"Thoughts?" Jack interjected.

_I wish I was fully armed_, Elizabeth thought as she pictured the bundle of swords she left beneath her bunk. "You two, start on the end while I handle the large gentleman in the center, the rest should be fairly easy to overcome." Elizabeth instructed.

The three of them fought valiantly, cutting down man after man, swords glistening in the sunlight. They were moments away from victory when they heard a raucous sound behind them.

"What in the bloody hell is that?" Jack asked, looking around for the source of the sound.

Lalo and Elizabeth's faces dropped as they stared over Jack's shoulder. "Run!" Elizabeth screamed.

Jack turned around and found at least a hundred armed men running full speed at them. Turning on his heel, he raced off in the direction Elizabeth and Lalo had run.

The men chasing after them were inhumanly swift. Two of them had caught up to the running trio, attempting to slash at the legs of Jack and Lalo. Jack quickly swatted off his attacker and made note of his odd appearance. Lalo lopped off the head of the man on his side, and, to Lalo's great surprise, continued to chase after them.

"That's different." Jack mused ironically. "I had sincerely hoped to be done with the undead."

"Just keep running" Elizabeth urged him.

—

When they reached the harbor, Elizabeth's eyes glistened at the sight in front of her. Just a few feet ahead, having barely dropped anchor was The Black Pearl.

"The Pearl." Elizabeth practically cackled in hysterics. She couldn't believe they were lucky enough that the Pearl would show up in their exact time of need.

"She made it in record time." Jack said almost disbelieving the swiftness of his own vessel before running up the gang plank, Elizabeth and Lalo following suit.

—

"Barbossa, we need to set sail immediately!" Jack barked to Barbossa as he stepped foot upon the deck of the pearl.

"We just got here. Haven't yet had the chance to resupply. Have you found the weapon?" Barbossa asked eagerly.

"I'm the weapon." Elizabeth answered pushing passed the two of them. "There's no time to resupply. We need to make sail with all haste." She commanded him.

Barbossa was sincerely surprised to see her aboard the Pearl and with Jack, no less, but he'd be damned if he was going to take orders from her. "Is that right? You've finally come to your senses and decided to join our side?" Barbossa hadn't forgotten the way she had dismissed him those few months previous.

"I'm on the side of life, and if you value yours, you'll do as I say. Now, give the order or, so help me Hector, I will not hesitate to gut you from stem to stern." She sneered having pulled her dagger so quickly, Barbossa barely had time to register that she had.

Barbossa gulped and barked out the order while trying not to give away the shakiness to his own voice as he did so.

"There's a good chap." She said, lightly slapping his cheek before turning away from him and heading toward the helm to speak with Teague.

Jack couldn't help but snicker at his former first mate's befuddled expression as Elizabeth walked away from them. "Best to do as she says from this point, mate." Jack suggested, laughing his way below deck to the rum cellar.

Barbossa turned to Lalo who stood on the deck, unsure of what to do with himself.

"Who are you?" Barbossa asked him, not remembering that it was Lalo who had released them in Peru all those years ago.

"I'm with her." Lalo answered menacingly, hoping to quickly garner some respect on the ship by taking advantage of Hector's vulnerable state.

"Welcome aboard." Barbossa winced and gave a small bow to the newest crew member before hurriedly following Jack's steps below deck.


	38. Best Laid Plans

**A/N: Hello Readers! Here's another update for you. We're nearing the end of the story, so I hope to get these next chapters out a bit faster than I have in the past. Huge Thank You to all who are reading, review, following and favoriting...you guys make this story keep going and your support is greatly appreciated. Please Enjoy!**

**Best Laid Plans**

"Care to enlighten me as to what in the bloody hell is going on and who the bloody hell we're running from?" Barbossa asked of Jack who was picking candle wax off of a table in the galley as he nursed a bottle of rum.

"It's a rather long story, mate." Jack said taking another swig from his bottle.

"I'd say we've the time, since I've been unceremoniously usurped upon my own ship." Barbossa muttered.

Jack chuckled acidly at the irony of that statement, but kept his focus on the wax.

"Come now, Jack." Barbossa pleaded in his own subtle way.

Jack rolled his eyes and began to spin the tale of all that had happened up to now. Barbossa's brow furrowed with every passing detail.

"You mean to tell me that in addition to fighting off the largest naval threat we've ever had to face, we now have to fight off an ancient god, hell bent on destroying the world?" Barbossa growled in disbelief.

"Pretty much." Jack stated plainly.

"Fine mess that wench has gotten us into."

Jack sighed. "It's all well and good as long as she can get us out of it."

"Can she be trusted?" Barbossa asked with some skepticism.

"I hope so." Jack honestly didn't know if he could trust her. He certainly wanted to, but he'd been unable to read her the way he used to.

—

Elizabeth stood at the stern, staring back at the diminishing coastline of Singapore. It wouldn't be long before Christian was on their tail, or maybe worse, on their ship. A hand on her shoulder startled her out of her musings.

"Captain, you scared me." She said clutching a hand to her chest.

"Apologies. I seem to owe you more than a few of those." Teague mumbled low.

"Don't be absurd. You were only ever trying to help me. I should be thanking you. I'm partly a goddess because of you." She smirked at him.

"All part of the plan." He teased and gave her a sideways smile that left no question as to who Jack's father was. He gave her a curt nod and returned to the helm.

As she watched him walk from her, Elizabeth noticed Lalo staring pensively out to sea, leaning upon the gunwale. She approached him slowly. "I'm glad you have chosen to fight with me." She said leaning against the railing next to him. She was so grateful to have someone else on board beside Jack whom she could trust without question, someone who knew all that she'd been through first hand.

"When I first met you, Elizabeth, your voice was as familiar to me as the voice of my own mother. I was so relieved to find that all those years I hadn't been hallucinating, that there would be a way to stop Christian. It wasn't easy playing both sides." He had turned toward her.

"I was drawn to you, just as I was drawn to her." Elizabeth had gotten used to the duplicate memories, but every now and then she found herself speaking of Elizabeth Swann in the third person. It was a strange balance. "You are a warrior, Lalo, but you are just and you are good. We will need men like you going forward." She continued.

He nodded shyly and turned back toward the ocean. "Your pirate seemed shaken." Lalo said, changing the subject. "You may want to keep a close eye on him."

"He's been through a lot." She defended, feeling the sudden need to find Jack. She shuffled back and forth on unsure feet.

"Go to him." Lalo urged her. "I'll be all right. These men are good too, no?" He smiled widely

"Most of them, yes." She smiled and turned on her heel to head below deck.

—

"Your Majesty." Barbossa snarled on his way out of the galley.

Elizabeth was momentarily taken back by his gruffness toward her, but then again, she did threaten him on his own ship in front of his crew, so perhaps it was warranted. "Barbossa" She stopped him. "I apologize for earlier…I…"

"Think nothing of it, your highness." He smirked with a bow and headed back above deck. "What's mine is yours." He sneered.

Elizabeth sighed and made her way into the galley. "There you are." She said having found Jack at last. "I've been looking for you."

"You've found me." He said tonelessly.

"Are you avoiding me?" She asked, teasing him slightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind him.

"Just needed a moment alone with my thoughts." He said paying her no mind.

"Oh, really?" Her chin rested on his shoulder as she craned her head to look him in the face. "One would think you'd want a moment alone with me, now we are both freed from our shackles…so to speak."

Jack gave her a sideways glance and removed her arms from his person, irritated at her playfulness. He continued to pick at the wax upon the table. Elizabeth stood, arms folded, waiting for him to say something, anything else. Realizing he planned to remain silent, she loosened her stance slightly.

"What is it?" She asked as she straddled the bench beside him.

He didn't answer her, but instead inhaled several large breaths. "Were you with him?" He finally asked after a long moment of silence.

"I beg your pardon?" She hoped she'd heard him incorrectly.

"Christian. Were you with him?" He put more emphasis on the question.

"How can you even ask that?" She asked defensively.

"Yes or no, Elizabeth?" He kept his focus on the table in front of him, unable to bring himself to look at her.

"No! Of course I wasn't." She exclaimed.

"It's all I can see when I shut my eyes." Jack pinched the bridge of his nose as he squinted.

"What is?"

"You and him…in the throes of passion…"

"It's all an illusion. He's trying to turn you against me, use you against me. I would never…you have to trust me…Jack…" She pleaded with him.

"You've no idea how badly I want to, but…"

"But you can't." She stood up quickly, shaking her head. "I don't know what more I need to do for you to trust me. Twice now, I've nearly let you kill me. Not to mention, saving your blasted hide, but if you want to continue to think me a whore, go right ahead. I've other things to worry about." She turned to walk out of the galley, but Jack grabbed her shoulder before she could reach the door, pushing her up against the wall.

"It's difficult to unsee was all I was going to say." He seethed, shoving her into the wall a little forcefully. "I trust _you_. I don't trust him." He brought his hands to cup her face, running his thumbs along her cheek. She placed her hands on his chest to steady herself against the wall.

"All this time…I never stopped loving you." She whispered focusing on the taught line that his lips had become as he tried to clear his head of unwanted images. "I never let him touch me the way you do." She whispered huskily as she trailed her hands down his chest toward his stiffening bulge. Jack gave a growl in response.

"I would hope you didn't let him touch you at all." He nuzzled her neck, pressing soft kisses toward her ear, letting his hands slide down her torso to her waist where they came to rest upon her hips.

"Not in any way that mattered." She said with her head tilted back as he continued to lave that most sensitive spot just beneath her earlobe. He stopped and pulled back abruptly.

"But you did let him touch you?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

She rolled her eyes. "I have no control over the occasional act of an unwanted groping. I staved off his every advance upon my person. I remain untainted, don't worry." She chuckled.

"As I said, I don't trust him." He continued his pointed stare as she leaned forward, pressing a kiss against his cheek, then the other, finally capturing his lips between her own. Her hands ghosted over the laces of his pants, willing them to come undone of their own accord.

He gave in almost immediately, pressing his hips forward against her hand. His own hands snaked beneath her shirt, moving up the scarred expanse of her back. "I am sorry for these." He said between kisses.

"No more talking." She commanded, finally freeing the length of him into her palm. He groaned against her mouth as she massaged him, dragging his hands along the still soft flesh of her abdomen toward the waistband of her pants.

He deftly undid the lacings of her pants, ripping them open with wild abandon. Jack's fingers plunged into the downy forest below, finding her practically dripping in anticipation. He pulled her pants down below her hips and lifted her up against the wall. She eyed him hungrily as he poised himself at her entrance. With animalistic fervor, he drove himself inside her, winning a satiated yelp from Elizabeth in response.

Trailing kisses along her exposed throat down to her breasts, Jack continued to pump furiously. Elizabeth writhed beneath him, unable to contain her gasps. Her hands gripped his shoulders for support as he ran a hand along her thigh toward the luscious pearl at her center. As he neared his end, he rubbed his thumb against her, thrusting harder and harder. It was taking everything in her power not to cry out.

She came hard in an explosion of light and color, the sounds around her buzzed in her ears. Jack followed shortly thereafter, equally sated as he collapsed against her. He held her in place against the wall as he caught his breath. She continued to plant feather light kisses against his face.

"Hate to interrupt, but we have a problem out here." Barbossa barged into the galley, keeping his eyes focused anywhere but on the two bodies coupled against the wall. "So when you've had a moment to gather yourselves, we'll be needing you on deck." And as quickly as he arrived, he disappeared through the door.

Jack dropped his head to Elizabeth's shoulder and the two laughed heartily before disentangling themselves from the others grasp.

"I suppose we'd better…" Elizabeth said smoothing the front of her shirt and refastening her pants.

"Aye." Jack agreed, restoring his own effects.

She turned to leave the galley and he grabbed her again, turning her to face him. The seriousness in his gaze bore through her. "No matter what happens, I love you and I _trust_ you." He breathed before capturing her mouth once more.

"You better." She responded with a grin after breaking the kiss, and grabbed his hand, leading him back on deck.

—

Barbossa, Lalo, and Teague were gathered together midship in heated debate. Jack and Elizabeth exchanged worried glances as they approached the group.

"We have to take a stand now." Barbossa demanded fiercely.

"They outnumber us fifty to one. We don't stand a chance." Teague argued.

"There is a more dangerous enemy out there than them. We should not waist our energy fighting more than one losing battle." Lalo offered.

"If neither battle is winnable we should just give up now." Barbossa threw his hands up in frustration.

Elizabeth saw beyond the bickering bunch, fifty naval ships sailing in their direction with great speed.

"They'll turn us to flotsam before we even bat an eye." She mumbled to Jack.

"That's not our biggest problem." Jack said pointing behind them as a Ship of the Line, the largest he had ever seen, was quickly bearing down upon them.

"Erebus." She whispered and quickly inserted herself into the group of men. "We need to parlay with the navy." She ordered.

"What?! Are you mad?" Barbossa screeched at her.

"If Erebus gets in their heads, we really won't stand a chance." She said more toward Lalo than the other two men who were looking at her askance.

"I'd say we already don't stand a chance." Jack offered unhelpfully, earning him a glare from Elizabeth. He pointed behind him once more.

Off in the distance two ships rose from beneath the water, then another, then another, and so on… Erebus was raising wrecked ships from the depths to use against them. "Those'll go nicely with his undead army." Jack joked drily.

"What on earth is that?" Barbossa questioned with a grimace as he stared out at the phenomenon behind them.

"That would be our bigger problem." Jack interjected.

"And the very reason I need to get the Imperial Navy on our side." Elizabeth pleaded.

"I'm sorry to say lass, parlay is likely the last thing they'd be willing to do with the likes of us." Teague offered.

"Then I must protect them from him." Elizabeth decided and moved toward the steps leading below deck. Barbossa followed and gripped her arm tightly as he turned her to face him.

"Protect them? They'll kill us all without a second thought, and you want to save them?" Barbossa couldn't believe the words he was hearing. They were almost as shocking as the sight of a hundred ships rising from the ocean floor.

"I'd rather not have to fight off two enemies. Not to mention we could _use_ the ships." She seethed, tearing her arm from his grasp. She quickly disappeared below deck and was back moments later, the chest in her hands.

Lalo approached her nervously. "What are you doing?" He whispered harshly.

"I need to open the chest." She muttered back.

"You can't open it yet. You know you can't." He said urgently.

"Why can't she open it?" The heated whispers caught Jack's attention and he was by her side in an instant.

"Would you like me to tell him, or shall I?" Lalo sighed. Jack looked between the two of them as they shared hesitant glances.

"Someone needs to tell me." Jack insisted, his ignorance of this matter was beginning to agitate him.

"The only reason I'm still living is because the chest is closed." Elizabeth said to him slowly.

"But when you open the chest you'll be immortal." Jack stated, sure he understood that information correctly.

"To man made means of death, yes." Lalo added.

"There's something out there that can kill you?" Jack questioned uneasily.

"Yes." She answered.

"And he has it?" Jack was trying to wrap his head around this added conundrum.

Elizabeth appreciated Jack's concern, but this conversation was wasting their time. "Yes. A sword."

Jack remained skeptical. "How do you know he has it?"

"I was the one who found it." Elizabeth blurted out, tiring of the endless round of questioning.

"Why on earth would you go looking for a weapon that would be your undoing?" Jack was aghast.

"I didn't know it would be my undoing at the time." She answered back in defense of herself.

"He did." Jack nodded his head toward Lalo who looked as if he was about knock Jack's head off at the accusation. Elizabeth put her hand up to stay the man.

"It doesn't matter now. We need to get the sword." She insisted. "Once the chest is opened, Erebus and I will be evenly matched. The sword can kill _him,_ same as me."

"Why didn't we just take it from him when we were in the cave?" Jack wondered.

"He's not fool enough to have all of his cards on the table." Elizabeth answered simply.

"His game was about earning her trust. Having the sword with him would have given him away instantly." Lalo informed Jack.

"Thankfully, I was already on to him." Elizabeth added on quickly.

"Oh, yes. We'd be quite lost without you." Lalo quipped back, dripping with sarcasm.

"No one is questioning your contributions, Lalo." She placated him.

"He is." Lalo pointed to Jack.

"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes.

It was difficult for Jack to temper his jealousy in this moment as Elizabeth and Lalo bounced conversation quickly off of each other. It seemed they had grown quite close in their time together. Though, Jack would be the first to admit, it was clearly no more than friendship, but he was jealous of the time he'd missed with her. They needed to get this sword, so he didn't miss out on any more.

"I'm having a thought." Jack interrupted. "What if I scurry over to Christian's ship, playing the part of the disgruntled lover, hell bent on seeing her destroyed? He'll think he really got to me and in the meantime, I'll locate the sword and bring it back to you." He finished with a triumphant smile, sure that this was the best plan they could come up with.

"No." Elizabeth answered automatically and Jack's features drooped.

"What do you mean, no?" Jack asked affronted.

"If he catches you, he'll kill you. Absolutely not." She debated.

"I don't mean to put too fine a point on things, your majesty, but we are running out of time." Barbossa interrupted the conversation.

"Signal for parlay. Allow me to speak with their captain. If I cannot convince them, then I will just have to open the chest, and you two are going to need to get me that sword." She turned to Jack and Lalo who both looked down right disturbed.

Barbossa nodded and gave the order. Elizabeth straightened her shoulders and marched toward the gunwale, looking out at the navy ships fast approaching.

"What are you going to say to them?" Teague asked as he stood next to her, surveying the same sight.

"I've no bloody clue." She laughed with misplaced mirth. Elizabeth didn't know what was going to be the harder battle; defeating Erebus or convincing these naval men to fight alongside pirates.


	39. The Last Chapter

**A/N: Ok, everyone. This is it. The last chapter. I apologize for taking so long to get it posted. I had to make sure I tied up as many loose ends as I could. I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have. Thank you so much for reading, review and following and your general support over the last year or so I've been writing it. Without further ado...**

**The Last Chapter**

After a few more innocuous minutes of debate, the men finally agreed to let Elizabeth row over to the Imperial's Flagship alone and unarmed. She needed the time to think up a plan without the distraction of Jack fussing over her every move or Barbossa questioning her every decision. She preferred it when those two were at each other's throats. They paid far less attention to her.

She reached the ship and climbed the dropped ladder to the deck. The Captain met her at the mast. A rather portly frenchman, but tall and with a hardened chin. He looked down his nose at the woman before him before letting out a derisive chuckle.

"A woman? Did they send you to negotiate or to seduce me?" He chided while the men behind him laughed alongside.

"I'm the bloody Pirate King, and I'm here to negotiate with the General of the Imperial Navy. So if you would, kindly step aside and allow the adults to speak privately." She said tersely, her chin jutted upward.

The insult caused the captain to sputter nonsensically, clearly flustered, and looked to his crew for support. His men looked to the ground in an attempt to contain their laughter.

"Is he here, Captain?" She asked peering around the deck. "Surely, it's not you?" She continued to prod.

"How dare you?" He finally managed to choke out, his large frame lumbering toward her in an attempt to intimidate her. "I could give the signal and have you killed in an instant." He threatened, his hand nearing her throat.

"And violate the rules of parlay? But that would make you no better than a filthy, no good _pirate_, would it not?" She challenged back unwavering.

"Byron." An accented voice came from behind the crowd of men. "She's not a prisoner. Step away." A strapping man around mid age, dressed immaculately in a uniform unfettered by battle, topped with a perfectly coiffed wig strode toward her. "Captain Swann, I presume." He said, lifting her hand to his lips.

"You know me?" She asked, slightly flattered.

"Who in all of the seven oceans does not know of Pirate King Elizabeth Swann? Though, I feared I'd never get the chance to meet you. There has been quite a bit of silence on your whereabouts over the last few years. I thought perchance you'd met your match at last, and was so disappointed that it was not me who had put a sword in your belly." He said squeezing her hand with unrelenting strength. Elizabeth tugged her hand from his grasp in surprise.

"I'm glad you haven't yet been deprived of the honor" She responded sweetly, rubbing her hand. "I didn't catch your name?"

"General Tristen Dubois, at your service, mon chere." He gave a grand bow before her.

"I'm afraid I know no tales of your glory, General. Though, now that I think of it, I can't recall _any_ tales of glory from the French." She spoke with a face of stone. A dull rumbling fell over the ship as the soldiers voiced their displeasure at such blasphemous statements.

The General gave a hearty laugh, but it died quickly on his lips and he grew quite serious. "You have exactly one minute to state your case, Swann. If I am unmoved, you'll not leave here intact."

"Very well." She said with a roll of her eyes. "You need to concede in your fight against us, and allow us use of your ships."

"Is that right? Why on earth would we concede to that when the Pirate King and her brethren are all tidily gift wrapped on a single ship? You're entirely outnumbered. You couldn't hope to fight us all off, could you?" Tristen's condescension would normally have enraged Elizabeth, but she needed to keep composure. "Perhaps, if you gave us the map we've been ordered to take from you, I could be persuaded to give you one or two ships." He offered.

Elizabeth snorted. "The map? You believe in magic, General? Do you really think there's something out there that can make you all powerful?"

"I know there is." He whispered low into her ear. "I've witnessed the strangeness this world has to offer. I've been to the edges of the map. I know of the Order, Swann, and I can see the desperation in your eyes. You want it all for yourself."

"You've no idea what's coming." She whispered back harshly. "Perhaps you've not noticed the ships that just recently rose from the depths behind the Pearl. There's a God among those ships ready to tear your little convoy to pieces, and he won't stop there. I'd not see the world destroyed. Would you?" She asked seriously.

"I fine tale you spin, mon chere, but I am not a stupid man."

"You so easily believe in magic, but this is difficult to conceive?" She mocked him. "Fine. I'll give you the map, but it will do you no good." She relented.

"Oh, and why is that?" He asked disbelievingly

Elizabeth leaned forward, her face inches from his, her lips open as if she was about to kiss him "Because it was never for you." She whispered into his mouth before disappearing from sight.

The entire crew stepped back in fear and astonishment. The General looked around in confusion. "Where is she?" He asked hurriedly.

"As I said, General, I think it best if you relinquish your ships to my command." Elizabeth said from the helm. The only way to assure these men came to heel, was a true show of power. Granted, she wasn't sure she could even accomplish the feat as she was only beginning to stretch her legs, but if it did work, she knew the fear would be struck deep within them.

"Est la Diable." Byron muttered to the General.

"You?" Tristen asked in awe.

"Please, General, I entreat you to fight with us. The man commanding those ships _will_ destroy everything. No one is safe. Not even you." Elizabeth spoke softly, all trace of Pirate King gone from her voice as she pleaded with the General.

The Frenchman nodded with some reluctance. Elizabeth strolled calmly down the quarterdeck steps to shake his hand when cannon fire erupted from the Black Pearl toward the ship. Elizabeth turned abruptly squinting her eyes. "What in the bloody hell?"

"Deceitful wench." The General spat as he and his soldiers took up their arms.

"General, wait…I…" More cannon fire rocked the ship and Elizabeth sighed in frustration.

"All men to your stations!" The general bellowed before turning back to Elizabeth. "It was a nice speech and a neat trick, but we will not be fooled so easily." As he and a few of his men were about to pounce upon her, she disappeared again. This time reappearing on the deck of the Pearl where the crew was scurrying to the cannons, barely noticing her sudden appearance.

"What the hell was that?" She asked of Barbossa who stood in the middle of the fray. "I had them."

"It wasn't me who gave the order." He said with a sneer.

Immediately, Elizabeth's stomach dropped, fearing Jack was still under Christian's control. "Where is he?" She asked him with wide eyes. Barbossa gave no answer, he was more focused on the ships that were rapidly surrounding them and formulating a plan to be free of them.

"He's below with Lalo, trying to restrain the idiot who fired the cannon." Teague assured her as he came up behind her.

Elizabeth gave a huge sigh of relief and ran as fast as her feet would take her below deck. Sure enough, Jack and Lalo were wrestling one of the larger crewmen into the brig. She approached the scuffle, pulled the pistol from the crewman's belt, and knocked him over the head with it, rendering him unconscious. Lalo rolled the man the rest of the way into the cell and shut the door as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Should've thought of that before." Jack muttered, watching Lalo shove the fat pirate across the floor, making no attempt to help. "The parlay went well?" He asked ironically turning to Elizabeth who narrowed her eyes at him in response.

The sounds of cannons and gunfire pulled her focus away from Jack. "Our opportune moment is quickly slipping away from us. I have to open the chest now. It's the only way." She resigned.

"What about the sword?" Jack asked, gently grabbing her chin to turn her face toward him.

"I'll just have to take it from him." She smirked. Jack returned her crooked smile with his own and leaned in to steal a kiss, but was interrupted (once again) by the bellowing of Captain Barbossa.

"Get your asses up here! We're being boarded!" He barked.

Lalo placed a heavy hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "The chest is on deck. Go."

She didn't hesitate and quickly sprinted up the steps. Around mid stair she stopped and turned back, running straight for Jack. She pulled him toward her by the lapels of his coat and pressed her lips to his in a quick but bruising kiss. She released him and disappeared into thin air right before his eyes, leaving an awestruck Jack and a blushing Lalo in her wake.

"That's new." Jack observed mirthfully.

"Come on" Lalo urged, and the two gathered muskets and shot before running above deck to join the battle.

—

Chaos.

It was the only way one could describe it.

Fitting, Elizabeth thought as she dodged shrapnel and errant debris that had splintered off of the ship on her way to the chest. The Pearl was surrounded on all sides; Imperials to the left, Erebus and his half dead crew to the right. Cannon fire and musket shot rained down upon the deck. If she didn't open the chest soon, the Pearl would be sunk along with the rest of them.

She quickened her gait toward the quarterdeck steps where she'd hidden the chest. She pulled the pendant from around her neck and was about to place it into the lock when a large boom rocked the ship. The crack of the wood was deafening as the mast came careening down to the deck, men scurrying out of its way. More and more Imperial soldiers swung onto the deck next to her, forcing her hand to engage them in battle. She was a veritable hurricane against them. So quick and deadly were her blows, the men barely had a moment to register what was happening to them. But it was becoming an inconvenience and she felt more as if she were swatting away flies than fighting an opponent, and she was desperate to open this chest before Erebus got anywhere near her.

Without warning a figure dropped in front of her, hacking away at the soldiers in her way. "Do it now, Lizzie. I'll cover you." Jack said with barely any breath left in his lungs.

She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and said, 'thank you" before kneeling down to the chest again.

—-

Jack continued fighting off Imperial soldiers when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Christian appear just behind Elizabeth. His eyes were menacing as she bent down over the chest, golden sword in hand.

"Elizabeth, wait!" Jack screamed, turning toward her, allowing the soldier he was engaged with to slash him across the arm. Jack spun on his heel and quickly impaled the soldier with his sword, before running back to Elizabeth, hoping to stop her from opening the chest…but it was too late.

She had pressed the embossed piece of metal to the lock, and jerked back slightly as the mechanism moved of its own accord, spinning in a clockwise fashion. Slowly, she lifted the lid and peered inside.

It was empty.

_How could it be empty?_

There was no smoke or liquid or parchment of any kind. It was just an empty box.

"It's empty." She said in disbelief, staring intently into the chest. She thought perhaps if she concentrated hard enough, she'd be able to invoke something, anything.

"Empty?! What do you mean it's empty?" Jack asked with barely contained derision as he approached her.

"It's not empty." Erebus said from behind them in a liquid whisper. "You must have patience, dear sister."

Elizabeth quickly turned her attention to the voice behind her, startled by Erebus' presence. She stood at once, squaring herself against him. "I've had enough of this nonsense! I've had enough of this fighting! And I certainly have had enough of you!" She seethed as she pushed him backward with every step she'd taken, unsheathing her sword.

Her tirade was soon interrupted as a piercing ringing accompanied by a bright violet light rippled across the water, the chest at its epicenter.

The pulse had ripped through Elizabeth and Erebus, knocking them back violently against the ship, rendering them unconscious. Everyone else dropped to the ground in an instant, as the terrible noise had brought them all to their knees. They covered their ears in hopes to relieve the pain it caused.

The noise went on for a few more moments before absolute silence fell upon the ships.

Jack shook his head as he got to his feet, trying to get the ringing in his ears to stop. "Lizzie, are you all right? What in the bloody hell was that?" He asked, looking around the ship's deck. He noticed Erebus unconscious against the mast. Upon realizing she'd given him no response, he quickly turned his head to find Elizabeth slumped against the door of the captain's cabin.

He ran to her and gave her a violent shake. "Lizzie! Wake up darling, come on." She roused slowly, mumbling nonsensically.

—

The fighting resumed. Whatever confusion the unexpected event had caused, dissipated in spectacular fashion. The undead fought the Imperial Soldiers, the Imperial soldiers fought the pirates, while the pirates just wished to stay alive. Barbossa led the charge against those who had boarded the Pearl, fighting with all the fury and desperation of a man making his final stand. Teague retreated below to assist with the canons.

—-

Erebus regained consciousness and slowly got to his feet, feeling very much like his old self and relishing in the moment. The chaos that surrounded him was a soothing salve for the centuries of hard work and suffering he'd gone through to get to this point. He was so close to having everything.

He made his way toward Elizabeth, who had yet to wake, Jack still hovering over her with a lover's concern. It made him sick. Whatever love he had for Nyx had long since burned out. Power was all the love he would need. Power…and a little vengeance. "She won't suffer. I'll promise you that." Erebus lauded toward Jack.

"I'm not letting you anywhere near her." Jack stood, his eyes ablaze, sword at the ready.

Erebus was shocked. "You think you're a match for me? I'm a god. You're just a man." He barked with laughter.

"Wrong, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." He smirked and attacked Erebus with a mighty blow.

Erebus parried with a modicum of surprise. He would humor the bloke by giving him a fair fight, for the time being at least.

—

Lalo noticed the two men going toe to toe from across the deck and ran toward the skirmish. He was about to join in with Jack when he noticed Elizabeth crumpled on the deck. He bent down over her, relieved to find her still alive.

"Elizabeth." He whispered, nudging her gently. "You must wake up. It is time to fight."

She remained unmoving.

"Nyx" He whispered again softly, and she jolted awake with wide eyes and a gasp of breath.

—

Jack and Erebus continued their fight all across the deck while canon fire rained down around them and fallen men scattered the deck. They paid no heed to any of it, focusing only on destroying the other.

Erebus was swift and calculating with his strikes, he was far more proficient than Jack, but his arrogance was a weakness that Jack was able to exploit. Never taking anything for granted, Jack challenged his every move with a surprise flourish, causing his opponent a fair amount of frustration.

Jack made a maneuver that Erebus barely dodged, causing the pirate captain to laugh. "You still think me a poor match?" Jack mocked him…unwisely.

"Undoubtedly. Your mind is weak." Erebus said with a smirk before, disappearing and quickly reappearing behind Jack. "And that bitch isn't here to save you this time." He whispered into Jack's ear, before plunging his sword through the pirate's gut.

A guttural scream escaped Jack as the golden metal pierced through the skin in front of him and was pulled back out again, but as he stared at the gaping wound, he was surprised to find he felt no pain. No blood came pouring out of his belly. His senses showed no signs of leaving him. He turned to face Erebus in total astonishment. "That's interesting." He muttered, calling back a distant memory in moldy cave.

Erebus looked at the man in confusion. "It's not possible." He whispered in disbelief.

"Not probable." Elizabeth muttered from behind Erebus. He turned to face her, and she clocked him with a powerful right cross that caused him to stumble across the deck. "Your fight isn't with him." She continued as she made her way toward him, poised to tear him down limb from limb. She felt invincible, pure strength, coursing through her veins. All she needed to do was get the sword.

Erebus rubbed his cheek as he regained his balance. He turned to face his adversary. "Nyx, it's finally you. Shall we end this?" He smirked wickedly at her.

"Yes, let's." Elizabeth answered unsheathing her scimitars.

She struck the first blow, her arms a windmill of steel twirling towards her opponent. He darted back quickly, unfazed by her apparent fury. Erebus attempted to apparate behind her, but was unable to fool her. She parried his strike without sparing him a glance.

"In hindsight is was rather foolish of you to train me in combat if your plan all along was to kill me." She taunted him, throwing a few more blows his way.

"I'll admit, there was a moment I thought we could rule the universe together as it once was, but your insufferable affection for that mortal severed those dreams rather quickly." Erebus confessed before sending splintered planks of the pearl hurtling toward a defenseless Jack who was fending off two Imperial Soldiers.

Elizabeth threw up her hand, creating an invisible shield and caused the wood to fall to the deck just before reaching him. Jack turned back toward her slack jawed at his near impaling, before turning his attention back to the soldiers who stood with equally shocked faces.

"You can't protect him forever." Erebus warned her.

"Watch me." She muttered through gritted teeth as a rope moving of its own accord wrapped itself around Erebus' ankle, pulling the appendage out from under him and flinging him into the air.

Erebus responded immediately, sending a hoard of his undead army to tackle Elizabeth as he untangled himself from the coiled rope. She was swallowed by the group almost immediately. As more and more of the undead seemed to crawl over the gunwale to pile onto her, Jack and Lalo ran toward her, trying to pull them off.

A sudden shockwave rocked the ship, sending the undead flying in all directions. Jack and Lalo barely kept their footing and they watched in awe as Elizabeth stood slowly, fire in her eyes.

"I've seen that look before, best we leave this fight to her." Jack suggested.

"Agreed." Lalo said as they continued to stare at the raw power emanating from Elizabeth. She stood mere feet from them, arms extended wide, head raised, eyes closed. Soon, waves moved to swallow the surrounding ships whole. She made no discrimination between Erebus' ships or Imperial ships. As many as she could sink, ships were plucked from the top of the sea, leaving all but a handful to watch on in horror as the two deities battled out their differences. She could afford no more distraction, no more chaos. This needed to end.

Erebus looked back at her with a smirk as the ocean settled. "Ruthless."

"I've had enough war. There is only one fight left that matters."

"I couldn't agree more." Erebus snapped his finger and a flame ignited at the bow of the ship, spreading itself quickly along the perimeter of the ship, encasing them in a fiery blaze.

"Abandon ship!" Barbossa screamed from the helm. He and a handful of men, managed to escape the flames before the quarter deck was engulfed. Jack, Lalo and the rest remained trapped huddled around the capstan.

"If you surrender, I will save them all." Erebus offered.

"I will never surrender to you." She hissed.

"So be it."

Elizabeth and Erebus ran at each other at full speed. They struck at the same time, his golden sword met her two scimitars with equal force and sparks flew across the deck. They stood, swords locked, staring into the eyes of the other. "We could have this puny planet on its knees." Erebus pleaded with her. "This world was never meant for them. It belongs to us." He echoed.

"No. It belongs to me." She whispered, disapparating before him. Erebus quickly spun around, expecting her to reappear behind him, but she remained aloof.

"You wish to hide from me, sister? Come out and face me!" He screamed, desperately.

"Where is she?" Jack whispered to Lalo, unable to locate Elizabeth in all the wreckage.

Lalo shrugged in response.

"She better finish him off soon, or we are all finished." Jack said worriedly spying the flames as they inched closer and closer to the center of the deck.

Suddenly the tack line whipped through the air, snapping at Erebus' leg, causing him to stumble slightly. Jack and Lalo both looked toward the rigging.

"Ah, so it's a game you want?" Erebus asked derisively. Another line snapped his left shoulder, forcing him to fall to the deck. "Fine." He whispered to himself, pulling a small dagger from his boot before he stood again. The ship remained still as Erebus waited rather impatiently for Elizabeth's next move. "Come on, sister. Show your hand." He muttered.

He noticed out of the corner of his eye, one of his undead soldiers creeping up behind him. It was a paltry distraction. At the moment he was to be sidetracked by the undead man about to strike him, he flung his dagger through the air as Elizabeth attacked him from the opposite side, knocking the sword from his hand when he toppled to the deck. He didn't have to see to know he'd struck his target.

Elizabeth picked up the golden sword and walked to the fallen Erebus, the flames distinguishing in her wake. Standing over him, she pointed the tip of the sword at Erebus' heart as he lie upon the deck laughing.

"You find your death amusing, do you?" She pondered, inching closer to him.

"I told you."

"Told me what?"

"You couldn't protect him forever." Elizabeth's face fell. Erebus continued to laugh as her eyes darted toward the capstan where she'd last seen Jack. A group of pirates huddled, tending to a fallen brother, Jack nowhere to be seen. Elizabeth's heart sank to her feet, as she choked back a sob. "My death is worth seeing the pain in your eyes." He said embittered.

With a violent scream that would surely shake the heavens, Elizabeth plunged the sword deep into Erebus' heart. Another pulse rippled across the water sending everyone to the deck. Erebus turned to ash upon the planking and as the rain began to fall, was washed away into nothingness just as he began. The remainder of the resurrected ships fell back into the sea without a sound, and the imperial ships still afloat turned tail and retreated home.

Elizabeth stood in the middle of the smoldering deck, afraid to approach the huddled mass of pirates shielding an inevitable horror she was not yet ready to face. She let the sword in her hand clatter to the deck as she fell to her knees, the rain washing over her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but could not tear her gaze from the unconscious clump of pirates.

"It is done." Calypso said softly. "He is gone. Thank you." She said as Elizabeth turned toward her, at last gaining Elizabeth's attention.

"But at what cost?" Elizabeth choked out, shrugging Calypso's hand from her shoulder and running toward Jack. She dug through the unconscious men in her search for Jack, and pulled back in shock when she finally found him.

"Oh, Lalo. No." She whispered, her hand covering her mouth.

"He sacrificed himself for you." Calypso observed.

"I never wanted that." She turned to the sea goddess, tears brimming her eyes. "I never wanted any of this."

"You wish to get back your mortal skin?" Calypso asked as if reading her mind.

"Is it possible?" Elizabeth asked with barely contained hope.

"You can give up dis power, but at de risk of it landing in de wrong hands."

Elizabeth pondered the choice for a moment and her eyes widened as the thought struck her. "Can I give it to someone else? Someone worthy of the power? Someone loyal?"

Calypso caught onto her meaning immediately. "If that is what you wish, child, den it can be so."

Elizabeth nodded and walked toward her fallen friend. Crouching over Lalo, she pulled the dagger from his chest and brushed his cheek with the back of her hand, waking him suddenly. Gasping for breath, he clutched at the place where the blade had pierced his heart.

Elizabeth placed a steadying hand upon his shoulder and his breathing regulated. She then closed her eyes, muttering a few choice words under her breath and very suddenly a purplish smoke exited Elizabeth's body, finding its home in Lalo with ethereal fluidity.

"You would give up your power to me? Why?" he asked her, confusion plain on his face.

"You have sacrificed everything to help me, including your life….twice. It's the least I can do. And besides, I don't fancy having the responsibility. I am a pirate after all. You are far better suited for the task.

Lalo smiled back at her unsure how to react, but quickly swept Elizabeth into a firm embrace. "I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Waste not and do good. That is all I ask. " She said as he released his embrace.

"That I can do." He said, waving his hands through the air. In an instant the Pearl was restored. No longer a charred hull, no longer a splintered heap, the mast tall and proud as it once was, Elizabeth marveled at her magnificence, looking on with pride, unfazed by what others would call a miracle.

"You are a quick study." Elizabeth observed. "She's every bit as glorious as I remember."

"I have learned much from you, Elizabeth Swann." Lalo spoke with reverence and gratitude as he casually touched a hand to Elizabeth's stomach. Leaning down to her, he whispered, "Though, you'll find I made a few improvements." She gave him a peculiar look and he grinned back at her. She gave a bashful nod in thanks as understanding dawned on her.

"Where will you go?" She asked him.

"It has been many years since I've seen my brother, and there are a few matters that need reconciling betwixt us." He smiled at Elizabeth. "Goodbye my friend." He said at the last, and he and Calypso vanished.

Elizabeth immediately ran toward Jack who still lay unconscious amongst a heap of pirates. She had to smile at the sight of him relatively unharmed, unable to contain her relief. Crouching before him, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I suspect there are still a few adventures left for us." She whispered before making her way toward the helm.

She looked on as the deck began to stir, waiting a few moments to appreciate that so many of them were able to survive this ordeal. It was a short moment and Elizabeth was soon barking commands at the newly roused men, startling them sober. "All right you scabrous dogs, full canvas! We're going home!"

—-

Jack rose and dusted debris from his coat before scanning his surroundings in search of Elizabeth. Panic crept in as he was having a difficult time focusing among the bustling deck, but relief washed over him quickly when he noticed her, regal as ever, perched upon the quarter deck.

"I feel peculiar. What happened?" He asked as he approached her at the helm. Elizabeth did not answer, but instead pulled him into a deep and ravenous kiss. Jack broke the kiss. "I take it you defeated him then?"

"Shut up." She said as she captured his mouth again.

They parted again at the sound of the crew hollering over the side of the ship. "Man Overboard!"

Jack and Elizabeth ran to the railing to find Barbossa clinging to a barrel out in the middle of the ocean. "Toss me a line." He yelled from the water.

As someone was about to throw a coiled rope, Jack stopped them. "Hold on a minute." He said putting up his hand. "We don't really need to, do we? The world is back in proper order, so it only seems right that the Pearl return to my command, does it not?"

"Jack." Elizabeth scolded.

"I don't mean to leave him with only a barrel. I'll do him the same kindness he showed me. Lower a longboat for him and cut the line." Jack ordered. "Objections?" He asked turning toward Elizabeth.

She rolled her eyes, "No, but get on with it."

Jack's smile only widened further as he watched relief and soon great aggravation cloud the features of his former first mate when the longboat came crashing down, but the Pearl kept on course. "I'll get you for this Sparrow, mark my words." Barbossa screeched as the Pearl sailed away.

"I'm not all powerful anymore, I can't stop him from killing you." Elizabeth offered wrapping her arms around Jack's waist as Barbossa shrank into the distance.

"You're not?" Jack turned in her arms, looking down at her with confusion.

"I'll explain later, but first, I think I owe you something." She said coyly playing with the buttons of his coat.

"No, love, you definitely have the upper hand on who has saved whom more times." He said hooking a finger under her chin.

"That's not what I mean. Stay here." She said before disappearing below deck. She returned only a few moments later with Captain Teague in tow.

"What kind of debt could possibly be repaid by him?" Jack asked with feigned disgust.

Elizabeth turned to Teague, grabbing him awkwardly by the hand. "Captain Teague, would you do us a great honor and marry us?"

"Marry us?" Jack asked in surprise.

"If you'll still have me." Elizabeth stated pensively.

He'd have her right on this deck if there weren't so many prying eyes. A thought he nearly voiced but said instead, "There is nothing I could possibly want more."

"Teague?" She asked again, feeling suddenly very childish in his presence.

"You're certain you wish to marry him?" Teague asked with fatherly concern for both Elizabeth and Jack. "There's no telling what kind of trouble he'll get you in."

"I think it's safe to say that trouble steadily follows the both of us."

"Well, then…I'd be honored." He said at last.

The ceremony was short and sweet. The crew hollered wildly and proceeded to celebrate the union between Pirate Lord and Pirate King. Rum was consumed at an exorbitant rate, and they sailed back home to Shipwreck Cove.

—

Several years later…

Elizabeth woke before the sun. Dressing quietly, she climbed the steps of their small ship onto the deck. There was a fair wind, she'd noted, which meant it was time to change course. She scurried up the rigging to adjust a sail, and remained perched upon the boom to watch the sun rise. The Nightfall was a trusted schooner. Perfect for their short getaways from the usual routine. The one month out of the year, sometimes two or three (depending on the weather or the Royal Navy), when Jack and Elizabeth sailed just the two of them. Away from the cove and away from politics, they were free to do as they pleased just them. It quickly became a necessity for them.

Upon returning to the cove, Elizabeth found a mess waiting for her. Shipwreck Cove did, in fact, crumble in her absence. Any order she'd introduced was smashed to bits when the Imperial Navy began closing in on the pirate city. Thankfully, after news of the navy's cowardly retreat in the presence of the Gods made its way to the Caribbean, the remaining forces returned home, and the Imperial Navy was dissolved in its entirety. There was still, however, much work to be done. Jack, Elizabeth and the Pearl were in and out of the Cove constantly, refortifying, setting up trade routes, and trying to evade a disgruntled Barbossa who'd been found rowing somewhere near Tripoli and brought back to the Caribbean by Gibbs.

Gibbs offered the ship he'd been sailing in pursuit of Jack to Barbossa, who took it reluctantly, and it wasn't long for Barbossa to start coming after the Pearl. One particular night, he'd gotten the jump on them and nearly was able to take over the ship, but he had forgotten Elizabeth's prowess with steel, and was persuaded by the, not so friendly, point of her sword to give up the chase. He complied with his tail tucked between his legs and never returned to the Caribbean.

It was after that when Elizabeth demanded they take some time for themselves.

The sky began to glow as the sun slowly crept from behind the horizon, soft orange and pink. Elizabeth basked in the contentedness she felt when they were able to escape it all. This was true freedom she thought. The sound of voices caught her attention and she dropped down from her perch. She was soon greeted by the patter of little feet running across the deck to meet her. She scooped the small boy into her arms and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before setting him down. The boy scampered toward the helm, pulling a crate in place upon which he could stand.

Her attention diverted back to another pair of steps approaching. Jack sauntered toward her, a little girl on his hip, resting her head against his shoulder.

"You're up early." Elizabeth observed as she grabbed the girl from Jack and cradled her in a tight embrace.

"I told Eddie he could steer the ship today. I never had a chance of sleeping. And you know once Eddie is up, Lily has to be up as well. Afraid to miss out on all the fun, she is." Jack said brushing a stray hair behind the girl's ear with fatherly care.

"I wan't to steer too, Mummy" the young girl mumbled before falling back asleep against Elizabeth's shoulder, leaving mother and father to chuckle.

"What may I ask has you up and about before the sun?" Jack asked Elizabeth suspiciously.

"I needed a moment of reflection. A small thank you to the Gods." She stated simply.

"For what?"

"For allowing us happiness." She shrugged.

Jack Leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek and headed toward the helm. Elizabeth followed closely behind.

"So…what's our heading?" She asked of her son.

"Wherever we want to go, Mum." He answered back as if it was the most obvious answer.

"Of course. Well, lead on, Captain Sparrow." She said smiling.

And they sailed _happily_ into the horizon.

THE END


End file.
